Daily Mail

Handyman ‘strangled then burnt’ doctor and daughter, 14, at home

- By Richard Marsden

A GIrL of 14 arriving home from school ‘walked to her own death’ at the hands of a handyman who had already killed her doctor mother, a court heard yesterday.

Vian Mangrio, who was just 4ft 11in and weighed only 6st 4lb, was set upon by Shahbaz Khan, who strangled her in the lounge, jurors were told.

Her mother Saman Sacharvi, 49, a psychiatri­st, was already dead, having been strangled earlier in the day by Khan, prosecutor David McLachlan QC said.

The court heard Khan, 51, may have been aware Vian and her mother had briefly been self-isolating days before over fears the teenager might have coronaviru­s, although she tested negative.

He used this to try to falsely pin the blame on the schoolgirl, scrawling messages on the walls of the property in Burnley, saying ‘Covid home’, ‘help me’ and ‘my mum is evil’, the prosecutio­n said.

After the killings, Khan then allegedly used petrol to set fire to Vian’s body. He also started a fire in the kitchen and attempted to set Dr Sacharvi’s body alight in her bedroom, it was claimed.

Dr Sacharvi had been strangled and medical experts found she may have been ‘subdued’ through drugs. A roll of aerial cable was found next to her bed.

In addition, the knobs on a downstairs gas cooker had been turned on, but Mr McLachlan said it was ‘not possible to establish whether the burners had been lit’.

Although the fires burned out, smoke was smelt by a neighbour, who wondered whether it was builders burning waste.

But Mr McLachlan said: ‘It wasn’t the builders, it was Shahbaz Khan.’ Preston Crown Court heard Khan was well-known as a handyman and had done work for twice-married Dr Sacharvi previously.

He had an appointmen­t to carry out work at Dr Sacharvi’s address on the day of the killings, on September 30 last year, which was detailed in a diary she kept. The court heard that Dr Sacharvi drove her daughter to school and visited shops before returning home.

Her last contact with anyone was sending an email at 11.50am.

Moments earlier, nearby CCTV cameras had filmed Khan arriving at the property with an opened umbrella and carrying a yellow bag. Mr McLachlan asked: ‘Was this an attempt to conceal his identity?’

The court heard Khan had left unknown items outside the address the previous evening, when he purchased two small bottles of wine and a strawberry and banana smoothie. The bottles were later found at the murder scene.

That afternoon, Dr Sacharvi failed to attend an online training event and her internet router was disconnect­ed, the court was told.

Mr McLachlan said: ‘It is the prosecutio­n case Shahbaz Khan killed Saman Sacharvi before Vian Mangrio arrived home.’

The court was told Vian had tried to call her mother before returning but the calls were unanswered. CCTV footage captured the teenager walking to the house at 3.25pm. Showing it to the jury, Mr McLachlan said: ‘That’s the image of Vian Mangrio literally walking to her own death.’

The next day a friend and a neighbour arrived at the property and found it had been on fire. They called police, leading to the horrific discovery, the court was told.

Khan was arrested outside his home on october 4. A bag was found in his loft filled with gold jewellery which belonged to Dr Sacharvi, Mr McLachlan said.

Shahbaz denies two counts of murder and arson with intent to endanger life. His wife rabia, 45, denies perverting the course of justice by lying to police on her husband’s behalf. The trial continues.

‘Walked to her own death’

 ??  ?? Scene of tragedy: Home in Burnley
Killed: Vian Mangrio and her mother Dr Saman Sacharvi
Scene of tragedy: Home in Burnley Killed: Vian Mangrio and her mother Dr Saman Sacharvi

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