Aya Hachem: Woman jailed for manslaughter of Lancashire law student

A woman has been jailed for manslaughter after a law student was mistakenly gunned down in a botched drive-by shooting.

Aya Hachem was killed on a shopping trip near her home in Blackburn, Lancashire, on 17 May 2020.

Feroz Suleman, 40, had arranged the killing of a rival tyre shop owner, but the gunman shot dead Aya when he fired a second bullet.

A total of seven men were jailed for more than 200 years for her murder in August 2021.

Today (1 October) Judy Chapman, 27, appeared at Preston Crown Court to be sentenced.

The court heard how she, and her boyfriend Uthman Satia, had driven the hitman Zamir Raja and his driver Anthony Ennis from Bolton to Blackburn before and after the shooting.

Honourable Mr Justice Mark Turner said Chapman played a 'significant role' in the death of Aya Hachem, and sentenced her to 15 years in jail for manslaughter.

Defending Ms Chapman, Mr Tahir Khan QC described her as ‘vulnerable’. He said: “You know she is of good character although convicted after trial.

"In the pre-sentence report she expressed remorse for playing a part in the killing of Ms Hachem.”

Mr Khan added: “My overall impression is not that she is a callous, manipulative, sophisticated offender but rather a damaged and highly vulnerable person who spent most of her life being frightened of men.

“We concede, because it is the right thing to do, that custody is inevitable and custody of some length.

“But we do submit that in the case of this defendant there is hope for the future and that if anybody is deserving of mercy and compassion that she is.”