Investigating officer says group’s abuse of

PUPPETMASTER Zahid Zaman was the ruler of his own warped world, and dominated those around him.

The wheelchair-bound sadist coerced and controlled three women, leading to a man he used to call a brother being subjected to cruelty beyond the understanding of ordinary people.

Jimmy Prout, described by neighbours as a quiet man who kept himself to himself, was subjected to barbaric violence even a seasoned detective admitted was the worst he had ever seen.

Two of the accused – Ann Corbett and Zahid Zaman – were found guilty of murder.The other two – Kay Rayworth and Myra Wood – were found not guilty of either murder or manslaughter, but were found guilty of causing or allowing the death of a vulnerable adult.

When he finally succumbed to his injuries, Jimmy, who is a father, was wheeled around the corner from where they all lived on St Stephen’s Way, Percy Main, and dumped on wasteland.

His badly decomposed body lay undiscovered for more than six weeks.

Evil Zaman spun a web of lies to cover his tracks, making a 999 call to claim Corbett had murdered Jimmy. But a jury at Newcastle Crown Court saw through Zaman’s lies and found him guilty of murder. Detective chief inspector Andy Fairlamb led the Northumbria Police investigation into Jimmy’s death.

DCI Fairlamb, who has 26 years’ service in the force, told how the abuse suffered by Jimmy was the worst he has ever seen, and revealed how he and his team brought the killers to justice.

He said: “The entire web of lies was untangled and it quickly transpired Zaman was at the heart of everything that happened to Jimmy. He got the girls to cover for him but we quickly uncovered what had been going on inside those two houses. The women were very