Aya Hachem: Woman who gave false alibi for killers is jailed

Cally Bainbridge, 32, admitted conspiracy to pervert the course of justice

A woman who admitted helping to provide false alibis for two men who murdered a 19-year-old law student in a drive-by shooting has been jailed.

Aya Hachem was walking to a shop to buy food for her family in Blackburn, Lancashire, when she was caught in a crossfire and shot dead.

Zamir Raja and Anthony Ennis were among eight men jailed for her murder.

Cally Bainbridge, who admitted taking the men's phones out of the area, was jailed for 23 months.

The 32-year-old had admitted conspiracy to pervert the course of justice at Preston Crown Court.

Ms Hachem was mistakenly killed in the shooting which was the culmination of a feud between two tyre firm owners in the town on 17 May 2020.

After the shooting Bainbridge drove to Bolton to meet Raja and Ennis to collect their phones, Lancashire Police said.

Aya Hachem was on her way to the shops to buy food for her family when she was shot dead

She then drove back to Manchester and switched the phones on to create the false impression the pair were not in Blackburn at the time of Ms Hachem's shooting.

Ennis' phone was turned on in Partington, where he lived and Bainbridge then drove to Sale where she turned on Raja's phone.

Seven men were jailed in 2021 for Ms Hachem's murder and a woman was jailed for her manslaughter. An eighth man, Louis Otway, was jailed for murder in May.

Bainbridge is the last person to be sentenced in connection with Aya's death, in what Lancashire Police described as "one of the most complex, widespread and meticulous investigations that Lancashire Police has ever undertaken".

Det Insp Ian Moore said: "As an investigation team, our aim was always clear; to get justice for Aya -a young woman whose life was so full of promise and which was brutally and tragically cut short.

"My thoughts today are first and foremost with her family and loved ones."

The detective said he hoped all of the sentences had offered Aya's family "some sense that we have achieved justice for her".