Frank McKeever: Couple convicted of murder after forced 'confession'

A woman and her partner have been found guilty of killing her step-father and dumping his body after they forced him to make a "video confession".

At the Old Bailey, Surie Suksiri, 32, and Juned Sheikh, 48, were convicted of murdering Frank McKeever, 63, and preventing his lawful burial.

The court heard Suksiri had sent a 47-second WhatsApp video to Sheikh's sister of Mr McKeever.

In the video, he said he had "assaulted" Suksiri when she was six.

It began with Suksiri saying "start" before Mr McKeever spoke in a "flat tone", the court heard. It ended with him saying: "I deserve to be punished for it."

The prosecution said the video was sent about an hour after Mr McKeever had arrived at Suksiri's home in Highbury, north London, on 28 August, 2021.

Prosecutor Bill Emlyn Jones KC told the court: "From that point on he didn't use his bank card, he didn't use his Oyster card, he didn't use his mobile phone - in fact there is no evidence of his continuing to exist after that night.

"That is because he was dead.

"After he made that video confession, these two defendants killed him and a few days later they removed his dead body from the flat and disposed of it."

Giving evidence by video-link, Suksiri admitted assaulting Mr McKeever, but claimed it was Sheikh who had been the principal attacker and said he elbowed the victim more than five times in his spine.

Suksiri said she found her step-father dead and admitted that she and Sheikh dumped his body in a remote location outside of London at the side of a motorway. His body has never been found.

Sheikh did not give evidence in his defence.

Mr McKeever's disappearance was first noticed because he was due to complete a house-swap with a couple, but failed to attend a meeting or return any WhatsApp messages.

He was reported missing to police on 9 September 2021, but when Suksiri was contacted about Mr McKeever's whereabouts, she lied and claimed not to have spoken to him for "more than 20 years", the court heard.

On 2 September, she pawned three of his rings for £200, the court heard.

The jury also heard that on 19 September 2021, police were called to Suksiri's house following a domestic argument between her and Sheikh, where police body-worn footage captured Sheikh calling Suksiri a "murderer".

The jury was also played audio conversations recorded by an undercover police officer who befriended Suksiri in 2022 after she had been released under police investigation.

The prosecution claimed the recordings were a "clear and unambiguous confession" to the murder that Suksiri had committed with Sheikh.

After the verdicts were returned, Sheikh accused the jury of being of being "racist" and said he hoped they all "rot in hell."

In a statement released after the verdict, the Met Police said no formal childhood abuse allegations had been made against Mr McKeever and that no evidence was found during the investigation to suggest it was true.

Sentencing was adjourned until 20 November.

Listen to the best of BBC Radio London on Sounds and follow BBC London on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected]