Aya Hachem: The student passer-by caught up in a fatal feud

Seven men have been jailed for the murder of student and charity volunteer Aya Hachem, who was shot dead after finding herself in "the wrong place at the wrong time".

The 19-year-old was walking to a supermarket on Sunday 17 May last year when she stumbled unwittingly into the path of a vicious feud.

Two tyre firms in Blackburn had been at loggerheads for months and their dispute was about to reach a violent conclusion.

In her final moments, Ms Hachem briefly stopped for two teenagers on bicycles in King Street before two gunshots were fired from a passing car.

One bullet struck the window of Quickshine Tyres while the other hit Ms Hachem.

A jury at Preston Crown Court heard she was simply an innocent passer-by.

The intended target was Quickshine's owner Pachah Khan, following a long-running quarrel with the owner of nearby RI Tyres.

Ms Hachem's family say they are remembering a woman who was "very driven" and full of "kindness".

Her brother Ibrahim said he felt "disbelief" when he first heard about the shooting.

"I would never have expected something like that to happen to her. And that was followed with anger, frustration. It was just rage," he said.

"I can't explain it. My exact reaction and my exact feelings. It was like I wasn't there. I got disconnected from the world."

The family, originally from Lebanon, lived in Lancashire for nine years before the tragedy.

After returning from Ms Hachem's funeral in Lebanon they have moved away to Greater London.

Seven men, including RI Tyres boss Feroz Suleman, 40, have now been jailed for life for murdering Ms Hachem.

Suleman along with accomplices Kashif Manzoor, 26, Ayaz Hussain, 35, Abubakr Satia, 32, all of Blackburn; Zamir Raja, 33, of Stretford; Anthony Ennis, 31, of Partington, and Uthman Satia, 29, of Great Harwood, were sentenced on Thursday.

The eighth defendant, Judy Chapman, 26, of Great Harwood, was cleared of murder but found guilty of manslaughter and will be sentenced on 1 October.

Ms Hachem was studying law at the University of Salford and was aiming to specialise in international matters, her friend Blean Azeez said.

He remembers her "kindness" and described her as "a very helpful girl, a very smart girl".

"She was pushing not just me but everyone else to do their work to the best of their ability," he said.

"She was very genuine, very driven."

Ms Hachem's motivation spurred her to become a young trustee in Preston for the Children's Society, whose chief executive Mark Russell backed her as "someone full of potential".

A spokeswoman for the charity said she was "a truly remarkable young woman, and an inspiring voice for children and young people".

Mr Hachem said his sister's ambition was to work as a solicitor "to help people who were less able".

"No one goes to bed before remembering her and shedding a few tears," he said.

"Our life has been turned into hell."

Mr Hachem said the family's Islamic faith had provided some comfort, especially as his sister died while fasting during the holy month of Ramadan, when Muslims undertake daylight fasts.

It is believed anyone who dies during the holy month will go to heaven.

"In our beliefs, what we want in this life is to prepare for the afterlife, and for us we're sure that she's in heaven," he said.

"It does help, but we're humans at the end of the day and we do miss her a lot.

"The way she was taken from us. It's like a fire that will never be extinguished inside of us."

Ms Hachem is now buried in the family's home town in South Lebanon.

Her brother added: "I don't think I'll ever see such a pure person like her again."

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