Somaiya Begum: Jury told accused had no motive for murder

Somaiya Begum was found dead on wasteland in Bradford on 6 July

A man on trial for murdering his niece had no motive, unlike her father who was "humiliated" after her failed forced marriage, a jury has heard.

Mohammed Taroos Khan, 53, is accused of killing Somaiya Begum at her home in Bradford, in June 2022.

The 20-year-old student's body was found on waste ground in the city, 11 days after she went missing.

Mr Khan's barrister told Bradford Crown Court the prosecution had not shown why his client would have killed her.

Zafar Ali KC reminded the jurors that Miss Begum's father - the defendant's brother, Mohammed Yaseen Khan - had been made subject to a Forced Marriage Protection Order after he tried to make his daughter marry her cousin in Pakistan when she was 16 years old.

He also said that Yaseen Khan was "incandescent with rage" after Miss Begum reported him to the police over the attempted forced marriage.

"Taroos Khan had no motive to harm his niece at all," Mr Ali told the court.

"Who did have motive? Of course it was Yaseen Khan, her humiliated father - a father who had lost his so-called honour. That's who had motive."

Mr Ali also told the jury that Yaseen Khan had recently left Britain for Pakistan on a "one-way-ticket".

'Needless death'

Mr Khan, of Thornbury Road, Bradford, denies murder, but has admitted perverting the course of justice by disposing of Miss Begum's body and trying to burn her mobile phone.

In his closing speech, Mr Ali said Miss Begum's death was "needless and pointless" and described her as bright, hardworking and brave.

He admitted the defendant, who did not give evidence during the trial, was far from a "model father", having been convicted of punching his own daughter, holding a knife to her throat and threatening to "chop her up".

But he said that, in terms of attitudes towards women, his brother Yaseen Khan was much worse.

Mohammed Taroos Khan is on trial for murder at Bradford Crown Court

Mr Ali said: "Taroos Khan was nothing like his brother Yaseen, not even close.

"Yaseen was in a different league. Yaseen was completely controlling and cruel to his daughter Somaiya.

"Her life must have been a living hell - a hell that was created by her father, Yaseen Khan."

Mr Ali pointed to examples of his client being asked to sort out problems by his mother.

He told the jury: "It falls to the eldest to take care of matters when there is any trouble.

"Isn't that what happened on June 25 and 26 last year?

"Taroos Khan was told to take care of matters and we know that he did. We know that he disposed of Somaiya's body."

Mr Ali added: "[The defendant] doesn't know who killed her or he is not prepared to say who killed her."

The trial was adjourned until Thursday when the judge will sum up the case.