Life for brutal Blackburn killing

28/01/2011

Naeem Butt was sentenced to life imprisonment at Preston Crown Court today for the murder of Saheel Ahmed in June 2010.

A trained butcher, he slit Mr Ahmed’s throat and stabbed him in the early hours of 22 June 2010. Butt had lain in wait for Mr Ahmed and attacked him as he left the home of his estranged wife.

Following the sentencing, Philip Potter, Senior Crown Prosecutor at Lancashire Crown Prosecution Service said:

"This was a truly shocking crime. Out of revenge and hatred Naeem Butt killed a man who was in no position to defend himself and then fled to Scotland in an attempt to evade justice. It is difficult to imagine a more cold-blooded and brutal murder.

"Even though Naeem Butt has never given an account of his actions on the night of the killing and didn't give evidence in his own defence during the trial, the painstaking investigation by the police enabled the CPS to present such a compelling case that the jury were satisfied of his guilt.

"This was a challenging case and I would like to thank all the officers involved for their work to overcome those challenges and ensure that the best possible case was presented in court. Today Naeem Butt begins his life sentence for this terrible crime. I hope this brings Saheel Ahmed's family some measure of justice and comfort, although no sentence will ever compensate them for the tragic loss of Saheel at such an early age. They have my sincere sympathies."

Ends