Video: Watch the Fatal Moment Innocent UK Teenager Walked Into the Path of Bungling Hitman

On a Sunday in May 2020 Aya Hachem, a university student, was walking home from buying groceries in Blackburn, a town in northern England. CCTV cameras caught the moment her path crossed fatally with a gunman who had been hired to shoot at a business rival.

Seven men have been jailed for life for the murder of Aya Hachem, 19, who was gunned down by mistake after becoming an innocent victim of a feud between rival businesses in a former cotton mill town in Lancashire.

The man who ordered the killing, Feroz Suleman, 40, and six others were sentenced at Preston Crown Court on Thursday, 5 August.

Lancashire Police have released CCTV footage of the dramatic moments leading up to Aya’s murder.

The trial heard Suleman, the owner of RI Tyres, bore a grudge against Pacha Khan, who owned Quick Shine Tyres, a car wash and tyre repair business.

Suleman was furious when Khan expanded from washing cars into providing tyres and other services and a war of words broke out between the rival businessmen in Blackburn, a town which is better known as the home of Blackburn Rovers, who won the English Premier League in 1995.

Aya Hachem, who was shot dead in Blackburn in May 2020

© Photo : Lancashire Police

Eventually Suleman decided to hire a hitman to shoot Khan.

On 17 May 2020 Zamir Raja, a 33-year-old contract killer from Manchester, was a rear seat passenger in a silver Toyota Avensis car driven by Anthony Ennis, 31.

The CCTV footage shows Raja and Ennis driving past Quick Shine Tyres and scoping out their target, Mr Khan.

Unfortunately Lebanese-born Aya, who had just visited a supermarket to buy groceries, was walking home, wearing distinctive white traditional Muslim garb.

The clips released by police ends as the car, with the rear window rolled down, passes Aya.

Aya Hachem's killers

© Photo : Lancashire Police

The bungling hitman, Raja, fired several shots at Quick Shine but as Aya passed in front of his gun she was hit and suffered fatal injuries.

Aya came to Britain with her family in 2011 and was studying law at the University of Salford.

Raja fled to London but was arrested at Euston station.

Raja’s lawyer, Peter Glenser QC told the court on Thursday: "The grief I have caused is unimaginable and I take full responsibility for my actions and the role that I played. He has said that he will take the time during his sentence to reflect on his mistakes, and is willing to do ‘whatever it takes’ to help Aya’s family in the future.”

The getaway car used by killers of Aya Hachem

© Photo : Lancashire Police

Suleman and Raja were given a minimum term of 34 years and Ennis was told he cannot be freed for 33 years.

The judge, Mr Justice Turner, told Suleman: "You were the driving force behind the whole deadly enterprise from beginning to end and followed through this plan with obsessive determination. When you were in prison you commented you were the captain of the ship and if you were to go down then everyone would go down with you. How right you were."

Kashif Manzoor, 26, was given a minimum term of 27 years, Uthman Satia, 29, and Abubakir Satia, 32, got 28 years and Ayaz Hussain, 35, got 32 years.

Uthman Satia’s girlfriend Judy Chapman, 26, will be sentenced in October after being convicted of manslaughter.