Student "in wrong place at the wrong time" when shot dead in the street, jury hears

A law student was "in the wrong place at the wrong time" when she was shot dead in the street in Blackburn amid a feud between two neighbouring tyre firm owners, a court has heard.

"Unlucky" passer-by Aya Hachem, 19, was gunned down in a drive-by shooting on the afternoon of May 17 last year.

The incident was the culmination of a long-running dispute between Feroz Suleman, the owner of RI Tyres, and Pachah Khan, the proprietor of Quickshine Tyres, a jury at Preston Crown Court was told.

Opening the case on Thursday, prosecutor Nicholas Johnson QC said: "The bad blood between the men had been building over a period of time and it got to the extent that a plan was hatched to kill Mr Khan and/or someone else at Quickshine Tyres."

"What happened was planned in detail and involved many people.

"The prosecution alleges that each of the eight people in the dock played their part.

"At 3pm on Sunday May 17 Aya Hachem was shot dead whilst walking along King Street in Blackburn.

"She was shot by Zamir Raja who was sitting in the back of a Toyota Avensis being driven by Anthony Ennis.

"Raja was a hitman brought in from south Manchester to do a job.

"He fired two shots from the car which was being driven past Quickshine Tyres.

Suleman, 40, of, Blackburn; Raja, 33, of Stretford, Greater Manchester; Ennis, 31, of Partington, Greater Manchester, Kashif Manzoor, 26, of, Blackburn; Ayaz Hussain, 35, of Blackburn; Abubakr Satia, 32, of Blackburn, his brother Uthman Satia, 29, of Great Harwood, and Judy Chapman, 26, of Great Harwood, all deny murder.

All eight have also pleaded not guilty to the attempted murder of Mr Khan.

The trial is estimated to last up to 10 weeks.