19 December 2023 , 09:59
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A convicted drug dealer murdered a vulnerable man in his own home with a hammer and scissors - but his victim's neighbours heard his chilling confession.
Mohammed Ali Khan, 35, subjected David Read, 50, to a "prolonged and extensive assault" using a claw hammer and a pair of scissors. A court was told Mr Read was later found dead in his home and, hours earlier, neighbours had heard Khan say "I’m sorry, I’m sorry David".
Khan was captured leaving the man’s flat at 9am - some four hours after the confession - carrying bags and having changed his clothes, Lancashire Police said. Khan was yesterday unanimously found guilty of murder by a jury at Preston Crown Court. He'll be sentenced on Wednesday.
The week-long trial heard how police were called to reports of a sudden death at an address in Blackburn, Lancashire, on Wednesday June 7. CCTV footage showed Khan – a convicted drug dealer – arriving at Mr Read’s flat on the afternoon of June 6. The footage later showed him leaving and going home to change his clothing.
Khan then bought food from a takeaway further along Preston New Road before returning to Mr Read’s flat shortly after midnight on June 7. At around 2am, one of David’s neighbours heard a loud bang and a raised voice – now known to be that of Khan. This was repeated an hour later and then at around 5am in the morning Khan was heard to say: “I’m sorry, I’m sorry David.”
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Khan was captured leaving the flat at 9am, carrying bags and having changed his clothes, the force said. By tracking Khan's movements on CCTV, officers were led to various locations where he had hidden items in an effort to cover his tracks and dispose of evidence.
David Read was killed in his own home in Lancashire (Lancashire Police)In one location at a nearby wooded area, officers found clothing belonging to Khan that appeared to have been washed and footwear belonging to Mr Read. In a nearby alleyway they found parts of a broken mobile phone – which was later confirmed as belonging to Mr Read – and a bloodied claw hammer hanging from the branch of a tree, reports Manchester Evening News.
Khan’s DNA was later found on a pair of scissors in Mr Read’s flat and on the hammer when it was examined. When Mr Read’s mobile phone was examined, it was discovered that Khan’s details had been deleted from the contacts list. In the period between 3.42am and 4.51am on June 7, calls had been made to individuals associated with Khan. Neither Khan’s phone or Mr Read’s phone were used to call the emergency services.
Two days later on June 9 Khan was arrested on suspicion of Mr Read’s murder. While at the police station, Khan said to a police officer: “Miss, can I tell you the truth?”
During his police interview he went onto answer "no comment" to the majority of questions put to him. Following consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service, Khan was charged with murder. Speaking after the jury's verdict, Detective Superintendent Mark Haworth-Oates, of Lancashire Police, said: “This was a truly shocking murder committed against a vulnerable man in his own home.”