Sentences welcomed by officers
THE life sentences for Mohammed Yousaf’s killers have been welcomed by police officers who investigated his ‘cold-blooded’ murder.
Following the trial verdict at Preston Crown Court, DCI Joanne McHugh, from the Force Major Investigation Team, said: “This murder was ruthlessly planned by Arif and Bibi, who manipulated a vulnerable and gentle member of the community, before taking everything they possibly could from him for their own financial gain.
“Mohammed Yousaf’s death is nothing short of the cold-blooded assassination of a wholly innocent man.
“While it may have been Arif who carried out the actual killing, there can be no doubt that Bibi was just as involved in the planning and is as culpable as he is.
“I am satisfied with the verdicts and would like to thank the jury for carefully considering all the facts and coming to the conclusion they did.
“Our thoughts at this time remain with the family and friends of Mr Yousaf and I hope eventually they will be able to take some comfort from the sentences handed down today.”
The police investigation analysed DNA evidence, mobile phones, CCTV footage, traffic cameras and financial transactions carried out by Arif and Bibi to build the evidence base on which they were convicted, although no murder weapons have ever been recovered.
The officers in the case also interviewed dozens of witnesses, including several in Pakistan.