A KILLER who murdered his mother-in-law and chopped up the body with a cleaver has been jailed for life keeping secret what he did with her remains.
At the time of the killing, butcher Muhammed Arshad helped run a take-away, and also had a job in a pie factory.
He claimed the body parts were dumped in bins outside restaurants on Manchester's "curry mile" at Rusholme.
But no traces of her were ever found, a jury at Preston Crown court was told.
Arshad, aged 37, of Middleton Road,Crumpsall, Manchester,who denied murder, claimed that mother of six Zainab Begum, 56 had made sexual advances to him.
He claimed she struck her head against the wall when he pushed her away. Arshad said he was getting changed at her home in Burnley Road, Accrington, when she walked into the bedroom naked.
She had last been seen alive seeing her youngest daughter off to school.
The prosecution alleged that after dismembering the body, Arshad's brother, Mohammed Khan, 37, helped him move the parts to the take-away in Church Street, Accrington, which they ran.
Forensic experts found that body parts had been stored on the first floor before being taken down to the kitchen.
David Turner QC, prosecuting, said "In the kitchen the blood trail stopped. What happened to the body afterwards is known only to the defendants who together disposed of her body to ensure that no traces of the woman would ever be found."
The Judge recommended that Arshad should serve at least 24 years.
Khan, also of Middleton Road, Crumpsall, got seven years after being
convicted of assisting in the disposal of the body.
The Judge Dame Heather Steel who described the case as horrifying said the motive had been to get Mrs Begum's home and money.
She told Arshad " You were by occupation a butcher and you butchered your victim using fearsome tools. This was a cold blooded, cruel and planned murder."
She told Khan " You lied and lied to try to save yourself, and made yourself a willing assistant to an appaling offence.
Tell us where her body is
POLICE have appealed to killer Arshad and his accomplice Khan to reveal where murdered mum Zainab Begum's remains are to allow her family to give her a decent burial.
Following the case, the officer in charge of the investigation, Detective Chief Inspector Steve Brunskill, said: "This was a brutal murder of a caring mother who was deeply loved by her six daughters and respected by her many friends. Zainab Begum was unable to tell the court what happened on 13 January this year when she was attacked and murdered by her son-in-law Muhammed Arshad.
"However, through our painstaking investigation - including considerable forensic work - we were able to tell the court her account. The court has listened carefully to this and returned the guilty verdicts.
"We have continued to support Zainab's family throughout what has been a very difficult ten months for them. During the trial they have had to listen to very disturbing evidence in relation to the disposal of their mother's body which has never been found. Now that Arshad has been convicted, I hope he can find it in himself to tell us the truth, and help us recover Zainab's body. Without his help, we may never find her.
"Khan knew exactly what he was doing when he assisted his brother with the removal and disposal of Zainab's body. He had many opportunities to inform the police of what had happened at a very early stage, but instead he chose to go along with it. The result is that we have been unable to find Zainab's body. Now that he has been convicted he should reflect on that and help us return Zainab back to her family.
"This was a very unusual case, not least because of the nature of the killing, but also because of the absence of a body. It is testament to the dedication of the officers and staff of the Constabulary and the prosecutors that they were able to present so much evidence to the court that we have secured these convictions."
