Sabina Rizvi: Police not implicated in woman's murder - inquest

The mother of a woman shot dead outside a police station in 2003 has said she is "hugely disappointed" in an inquest which found officers were not implicated in her death.

Sabina Rizvi, 25, was murdered as she drove away from Bexleyheath police station in south-east London.

Iffat Rizvi believes the police knew there was a risk to her daughter and could have taken action to prevent it.

But the coroner told jurors there was no evidence the police were at fault.

Ms Rizvi's family, who were carrying a large photograph of her, left the Old Bailey on Tuesday as the coroner began summing up the case.

Outside the court, Mrs Rizvi said she felt the jury "had been gagged".

She added: "We are grateful to the jury for the time they have taken to listen to all of the evidence surrounding Sabina's death and the questions they asked throughout.

"Throughout this process a lot has come to light about what was happening in that police station on that night.

"We are deeply disappointed that the jury were not able to comment on what happened to Sabina. We feel they have been gagged and this continues to reflect the systemic injustice we have faced since Sabina's murder."

A second victim, Paul Williams, who was in the passenger seat of Ms Rizvi's car, was also shot but survived.

In 2004, Paul Asbury was convicted of murder and attempted murder.

A known thief and burglar, he accepted responsibility for Ms Rizvi's murder while giving evidence at the inquest, but refused to name the two people who fired the shots.

He told the court Ms Rizvi was "caught up in the middle" of a plan to shoot Mr Williams who was a criminal rival.

Mrs Rizvi said: "Nothing will ever mend our broken hearts at the loss of our much-loved daughter and sister and we will treasure her memory for all of our lives." 

Cdr Stephen Clayman from the Metropolitan Police offered his sympathy to Ms Rizvi's family about the "tragic death".

He added: "The details relating to any death following police contact are rightly scrutinised.

"It is my sincere hope that the evidence heard during the inquest will bring clarity to the circumstances of the heart-breaking loss suffered by Ms Rizvi's loved ones."

Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) director Steve Noonan said: "This was a tragic incident where a young woman was killed and our thoughts remain with Sabina Rizvi's family."

He said following the coroner's decision to hold a full inquest, the IOPC began a re-investigation of the circumstances to assist the coronial process.

He said: "We found issues around the supervision of an inexperienced officer which resulted in Mr Williams making a call while detained resulting, it is believed, in a message being passed on to Paul Asbury. However, the evidence did not indicate any potential misconduct by officers."

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