A BUTCHER stalked his love rival, chased him through the streets and then stabbed him to death with such force that knife marks were left in his spine, a court has heard.

Naeem Butt, 38, had discovered that his estranged wife and mother of their two children, Shakra Ali, had been having an affair with victim Saheel Ahmed, Preston Crown Court was told.

The murder trial jury heard that 24-year-old Mr Ahmed had fled for his life after being confronted by Butt outside Ali’s Blackburn home and even managed to dial 999 on his mobile phone as he ran away screaming for help.

But his attacker caught up with him and he was attacked in an alleyway in the town.

The court was told that following the breakdown of Butt and Ms Ali's marriage in early 2010, she had got to know Mr Ahmed and a relationship had developed.

Prosecuting barrister Louise Blackwell QC said Mr Ahmed, a 'quite religious' Hafiz, was in an 'unhappy arranged marriage' and had not told his Blackburn family of the affair.

He had arranged a tenancy at a house in Zion Road, Little Harwood, for Ms Ali and her two daughters to move into in the first week in June, she said.

Ms Blackwell told the court that Butt, of Johnston Street, Blackburn, had got a taxi from his home to Little Harwood on the evening of June 21 last year, and asked the driver, Tariq Mahmood, to drive slowly down Zion Road.

He returned home, but then ordered another taxi around two hours later, at 12.30am, again to Zion Road.

At 1.40am, Mr Ahmed, of Accrington Road, Blackburn, left Ms Ali’s home and jumped into a waiting taxi.

But Ms Blackwell told the jury that immediately Butt, who 'had gone there with murder on the mind', opened the rear door of the taxi carrying a 'large strong knife'.

Mr Ahmed fled for his life, screaming and alerting some neighbours who witnessed the chase.

Ms Blackwell said: “In the event he was running for his life.

“Yet even in his blind panic he rang 999 from his mobile phone, trying to tell them what was happening to him. But during that 999 call his attacker caught up with him and knifed him. The 999 call fell silent.”

The court heard Mr Ahmed was pursued towards an alleyway in Warrington Street where he suffered 'deep incised wounds' to his head, chest, back, both sides of his neck on to his spine, and one which pierced his breast bone.

The court heard that he also had defence wounds to his hands and right arm.

A post mortem examination concluded the injuries could have been inflicted with a blade measuring at least 20cm.

Two witnesses had heard Mr Ahmed's screams and gone outside to see a man running in and out of the alleyway at Warrington Street, checking the body and then running off.

Ms Blackwell told the court that in the days before Mr Ahmed's murder, Butt had contacted his mother-in-law Nasreen Akhtar, and told her of her daughter's affair.

She said: “The defendant said that he was really angry with Shakra because of this immoral relationship. He said he was not able to control himself.

“The defendant stated that he wanted to take his own life. He had tried three times by taking drugs and strong alcohol, but he did not die.”

The court heard that on one of these occasions, Ms Ali found him and he attacked her with a knife.

She attended Royal Blackburn Hospital on Friday, June 18 with a cut to her thumb where she had grabbed the knife from him.

A 'concerned' Mrs Akhtar made her way to Blackburn and was staying with her daughter on the night of the alleged murder.

The court heard that just eight minutes after the fatal attack on Mr Ahmed, Butt ordered a taxi from Cedar Street back to Johnston Street.

He then spent the next several hours travelling to Edinburgh, via Manchester and Glasgow.

But Ms Blackwell said Butt called his mother-in-law three times between 5am and 6am.

He allegedly said: “That lad is dead and you people should leave the house.”

The prosecution said they had mobile phone evidence which placed Butt in the area, as well as forensic evidence of Mr Ahmed's blood on clothes found at Butt's home.

Butt denies murder, claiming he wasn't present at the scene or wearing the blood-stained clothes.

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