A MAN became the target of a deadly arson attack for having an affair — weeks after swearing on the Koran that the relationship was over, a jury heard today.

But the arsonists got the wrong house in London Road, Blackburn, and instead murdered innocent couple Abdullah and Ayesha Mohammed.

Preston Crown Court was told that Hisamuddin Ibrahim, 21, ordered the firebombing on behalf of his family to punish Mo Ibrahim (no relation) for having a sexual relationship with his sister Hafija Gorji.

But instead of targeting 135 London Road where Mo Ibrahim lived, the three arsonists torched Mr and Mrs Mohammed’s home at 175, the court heard.

Brian Cummings QC, prosecuting, told the court yesterday: “In April of last year she met Mo Ibrahim at a wedding, found him attractive and sent text messages.

“It soon progressed to a sexual relationship between them.

"In September, her husband found out about the affair and assaulted her.

“She went to the police scared that her husband would go to Mo’s house and cause a disturbance.”

Mo Ibrahim was also questioned by detectives and confirmed the affair, said Mr Cummings.

He said Mo Ibrahim received a phone call from Mrs Gorji’s husband demanding that he explain himself before her family.

The prosecutor said: “He was told to swear on the Koran that there was nothing going on between them.”

Completing his opening statement, Mr Cummings also set out the police investigation into the blaze on October 21, last year, including a series of interviews with defendants, all from the East London area.

Sadek Miah was the first to be arrested and questioned on November 4.

He told officers he had driven his friend Iqbal and Mohammed Miah to Blackburn on October 20 so that Iqbal could repay a fourth, unknown man, some money he owed.

Iqbal and Miah were subsequently questioned and gave the same details, with Iqbal naming his friend and debtor as Hisamuddin Ibrahim.

However, when Ibrahim was asked about his version of events, he claimed he had not met with the three men on the night, the jury was told.

Mr Cummings said it was Mohammed Miah who then changed his statement.

He told interviewing detectives that when they got to Blackburn, Iqbal threatened him, told him to get out of the car and handed him a petrol can.

He claimed Iqbal then took it back and said he was setting fire to a car before disappearing for a minute.

When he asked what had happened he was told to ‘shut up’.

Mohammed Miah told police that Iqbal later said he had ‘lit the house that night in Blackburn but did not mean to kill anyone’.

He told Miah ‘not to break down and stick to the story’ or he and his family would ‘face the consequences’, the jury was told.

Habib Iqbal told police Ibrahim asked him for help in ‘scaring a man named Mohammed into staying away from his sister’.

He said he was told by Ibrahim that his sister’s marriage had broken down because of this man and they were to start a ‘small fire in the man’s front porch’, the jury was told.

Iqbal also claimed Mohammed Miah poured ‘too much’ petrol through the letterbox and started the fire, with Sadek Miah as look-out.

All four defendants deny the murder of Mr and Mrs Mohammed.

Sadek Miah has pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of both.

(Proceeding).