TWO men found themselves under suspicion of murder after they were in the wrong place at the wrong time.

During the fifth day of a trial of four defendants accused of starting the fire which killed Abdullah and Ayesha Mohammed at 175 London Road, last October, it emerged two other men had also been in the frame.

Detective Constable Jeff McCann, of Darwen CID, was giving evidence to the jury by going through transcripts of police interviews following the arrest of one of the suspects.

Sadek Miah, 23, from the Isle of Dogs, East London, was the first of the four defendants to be questioned on suspicion of murder after police traced a car linked to the arson investigation, to his home address.

The court at Preston Sessions House was told that in Miah’s interview, two weeks after the London Road blaze, he denied knowing Peter Bowden, Imran Ali, Gulbar Akram and Hisamuddin Ibrahim.

Det Con McCann explained to the court that these names had been ‘disclosed’ to Miah prior to his interview.

Miah’s barrister Andrew Menary QC, cross examined Det Con McCann and said: “Bowden and Ali, these were two people who were suspected of being involved in the fire and were charged with involvement in these offences.

“Subsequent details after, effectively excluded them from being involved.

“Police had information that Bowden and Ali had been involved in some sort of dispute, drugs dispute.”

Det Con McCann replied: “I know that Bowden and Ali were suspected initially, but the reason for it I don’t know.”

Mr Menary continued: “Whatever the reason, these two men were in the Blackburn area to that night and have travelled to Blackburn.”

Det Con McCann explained Bowden had travelled from the Fylde coast area and Ali from the Manchester area.

Mr Menary said the police investigation into the two innocent men was ‘triggered’ by information that they were ‘up to no good in Blackburn in the early hours of the morning’.

Det Con McCann replied: “We’ve not got to the bottom of the reason why they were there.”

Analysis was carried out the phone records of the two men which showed they ‘were in the vicinity of London Road at 1.11am that morning’ and had been in the Blackburn area ‘for some time earlier that day’.

Mr Menary said: “Their vehicle was caught by an ANPR camera as leaving Blackburn almost exactly the same time as the 999 call went in.

“It’s no surprise they were at least suspected initially.”

The cases against Bowden and Ali were discontinued with by police and prosecution.

All four defendants, Hisamuddin Ibrahim, 21, Sadek Miah, 23, Mohammed Miah, 19, and Habib Iqbal, 25, all from the East London area, deny the murder of Mr and Mrs Mohammed. Sadek Miah has pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of both.

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