A Stretford woman linked to the murder of Aya Hachem in Blackburn has been sentenced. 

Cally Bainbridge, 31, of Moss Road, was summonsed by detectives last year to appear at court to face a charge of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.

Preston Crown Court heard that Bainbridge met Zamir Raj and Anthony Ennis in Bolton on May 17, 2020, under the impression she was picking up her keys.

Instead, she picked up mobile phones belonging to Raj and Ennis that were switched off.

Prosecuting, Matthew Conway said: "Bainbridge took Ennis' phone back to Partington and Raj's back to Sale.

"The phones were turned back on by Bainbridge at 2.27pm and 2.42pm respectively.

"On June 3, 2022, police executed a warrant to search Raj's house. Bainbridge was the detained. Her property was searched and her Nissan Juke was seized.

"In the Juke was found a 9mm luger bullet, documents addressed to Raja, and a bag containing hair clippers and clippings."

"Bainbridge's mobile phone was downloaded and found two images of Raja dated May 19, two days after the murder.

"One showed him wearing a bucket hat with the caption 'out here' with a gun emoji. The others showed him with a completely shaved face and beard."

On June 3, Bainbridge provided a prepared statement to police where she denied any knowledge or involvement in the offence. 

Two days later, she accepted she drove the Nissan Juke to Bolton, though said this was just so she could get the keys to her flat. She denied there was anything else in the car.

On December 22 she was interviewed again and asked specifically about taking the phones. She denied taking either of them.

Mr Conway added: "The attempt to pervert the course of justice was unsuccesful.

"Due to CCTV, police were able to estbalish Ennis and Raj were in Bolton and Blackburn when their phones were cell cited in Manchester."

Bainbridge has six previous convictions for nine offences, though with limited relevance to this offence.

Mitigating, Jon Anders said: "She [Bainbridge] had no knowledge or understanding of the substantive underlying offence.

"She did not know the ultimate intention of Ennis and Raja but she complied with instructions.

"She was not told the reason for the instruction to take the phones. She was fooled into a meeting in Bolton.

"Had she had this knowledge of the ultimate intention, she asserts she would have refused to become involved.

"She was essentially duped into coming to Bolton, she thought to pick up the keys."

Sentencing, Judge Robert Altham said: "While she was not aware of the nature, she knew this was a criminal activity involving at least two men.

"She knew what they were doing was sufficiently planned.

"She has become sorry relatively recently. It is important to look at the time when this remorse was expressed and acted upon.

"It would have been a greater expression of remorse had she expressed it closer to the time."

Judge Altham sentenced Bainbridge to 23 months in prison.

Law student Aya, 19, was killed on Sunday, May 17, 2020 as she walked by Quick Shine Car Wash, King Street, and was struck by a stray bullet shot from a passing Toyota Avensis.

The bullet went through her body and was embedded in a telegraph pole.

She had been walking to buy food for her family to eat when they broke their Ramadan fast that evening.

Eight people were jailed in 2021 for a total of more than 200 years following a trial for their involvement in the murder of Aya and the attempted murder of Pacha Khan, the intended target of the shooting.

  • Feroz Suleman, 40, of Shear Brow, Blackburn was sentenced to 34 years. He instigated and organised the hit.
  • Zamir Raj, 33, of Davyhulme Road, Stretford, Manchester was given 34 years. He was responsible for sourcing and transporting the firearm used in the shooting, as well as firing the shots.
  • Anthony Ennis, 31, of Grasmere Court, Partington was sentenced to 33 years. He drove the Avensis carrying the gunman during the shooting.
  • Ayaz Hussain, 35, of Calgary Avenue, Blackburn was given 32 years. He was the link between the Lancashire offenders and Zamir Raja and Anthony Ennis, based in Manchester. He played a key role in organising and orchestrating the shooting and was in company of Abubakr Satia when petrol was bought to burn out the Avensis, however, this did not go ahead.
  • Abubakr Satia, 32, of Oxford Close, Blackburn, was sentenced to 28 years. He sourced the Avensis used in the shooting and was also was involved in buying petrol afterwards to burn out the car.
  • Kashif Manzoor, 26, of Shakeshaft Street, Blackburn was given 27 years. He ensured the Avensis used to transport the shooter was running on the day of the incident.
  • Uthman Satia, 29, of St Hubert’s Road, Great Harwood was sentenced to 28 years. He helped to transport the gunman and driver to and from the Avensis on Wellington Road as the front seat passenger of the car being driven by his girlfriend, Judy Chapman.

Earlier this year, another man who was involved in organising and arranging the shooting was jailed for life with a minimum of 32 years.

Louis Junior Otway, was found guilty at trial of murdering Aya Hachem, and the 42-year-old was also found guilty of attempting to murder Pachah Khan.

Otway stood trial at Preston Crown Court in March alongside co-defendant Suhayl Suleman.

He was one of the final defendants to be jailed for his part in Aya's killing.

The jury found Suhayl Suleman, brother of Feroz Suleman who ordered the hit on Pachah Khan, not guilty of the murder of Ms Hachem or attempted murder of Pachah Khan.

Last year, Zahraa Satia, 26, of Oxford Close, Blackburn was charged with doing an act tending and intended to pervert course of public justice on May 19, 2020.