Honour killing victim predicted her death in chilling video

Last updated at 19:46pm on 11th June 2007
[color="Navy"]A 20-year-old woman murdered by her father for falling in love with the 'wrong man' chillingly recorded a prediction of her own death on video.

Despite telling police four times that she believed her life was in danger, Banaz Mahmod was strangled and buried in a suitcase in her back garden.

She had been accused by at least one officer of making up the story.

Today her father Mahmod Mahmod was found guilty of murder, along with his brother Ari Mahmod, for ordering his daughter's 'honour' killing, bringing shame upon the family.

The video she made in 2005, after an earlier attempt on her life helped convict the pair.

Banaz had repeatedly told police that she feared her relatives wanted to kill her, even writing a letter naming those she thought would carry out the act.

One of those named in her letter later admitted his part in the killing and two others fled the country.

Once when she told police of her fears a female police officer thought she had made up the story to get her boyfriend's attention.

Guilty father: Mahmod Mahmod ordered his daughter's death
The officer is one of several now facing an internal disciplinary investigation over the handling of the case.

Today Mahmod, 52, and Ari, 51, both from Mitcham, south London, were found guilty of Banaz's murder following a trial lasting nearly three months.

Banaz had helped convict them from beyond the grave with a video message played to jurors in which she told how she feared she was going to die.

She recorded the footage, in which she said she was "really scared", following an earlier attempt by her father to kill her on New Year's Eve 2005.

Banaz fled but later went back to her family and tried to carry on her relationship with boyfriend Rahmat Sulemani in secret.

But when they were discovered and Rahmat was threatened by Ari's associates, she contacted police again.

Banaz was urged to stay at a safe house but told officers she believed she would be all right at home because her mother was there.

The following day, on January 24, she disappeared. Her decomposed body was discovered in Handsworth, Birmingham, three months later.

Guilty: Ari Mahmod
Mohamad Hama, 30, of West Norwood, south London, an associate of Ari, has already pleaded guilty to the murder.

Darbaz Maref-Rasull, 24, of Hounslow, west London, was cleared of conspiracy to pervert justice. Ari was convicted of the charge. Pshtewan Hama, 26, also of Hounslow, has already pleaded guilty on the same count.

Neither Mahmod nor Ari showed any emotion as the verdicts were delivered. They were both remanded in custody to be sentenced at a later date. Rahmat shook his fist in celebration and wiped tears from his eyes as he watched the jury return with their decision.

In an interview released at the end of the trial, the 29-year-old told how his dreams of his and Banaz's future together had been crushed when she was murdered, and how her family's apparent respectability concealed a "dark side".

But he also described how he initially had to harass police officers to make them believe Banaz had gone missing, and they had not taken seriously her claims that she was under threat.

Rahmat said he hoped they had learnt lessons about the culture of honour killings and in future would take action "before it's too late". He sat in court today alongside Banaz's elder sister Bekhal Mahmod, 22, who gave evidence at the trial about the terror she endured at the hands of their father

The suitcase Banaz's body was found in, buried in her garden

She told the jury she was labelled a "whore" and beaten when she made herself "westernised" by putting on hairspray or gel.

Her uncle Ari told her that for the crime of being seen speaking to a male friend she deserved to be "turned to ashes".

After running away, her father sent her an audiotape threatening to kill himself, her mother, and her sisters if she did not come home, Bekhal told the court.

Her brother later attacked her after being paid to kill her, but could not go through with it, she said. Bekhal still fears for her life.

The court was told that Banaz, who had previously fled from an abusive arranged marriage, had to keep her relationship with Rahmat quiet because he did not come from the same group of villages in Iraqi Kurdistan where her family originated.

Detective Inspector Caroline Goode said the police investigation was hampered by non-cooperation from men in the Kurdish community. Many of them "practically fell over themselves" helping Ari and Mahmod to execute their plan and cover it up, she said.

Mrs Goode said she hoped today's result would encourage others to come forward and report so-called honour killings.

"Clearly there is no honour in killing," she said. "I don't think these type of crimes are about honour. They are about power and reinforcing patriarchal society.

"I think it is the ultimate betrayal for a parent to kill a child."

After today's verdict, campaign group the Southall Black Sisters called for a "robust approach" in tackling such killings, and demanded an investigation by the Independent Police Complaints Commission into the case.

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