MO Ibrahim spotted an attractive young woman across the dancefloor. He was at a friend's wedding in Manchester and when he pointed her out to his mates, there were some gentle attempts at matchmaking during the evening.

He talked to her a little. She was pretty, confident, intelligent, independent and captured his attention. They exchanged mobile numbers.

Little did he know that this first, chance meeting with Hafija Gorji could have cost him his life – and his family too.

For what the 21-year-old Mo didn't realise, was that the girl he would quickly fall in love with was married.

By the time he knew he was the 'other man' in an adulterous affair which would bring shame on both families, it was too late. He had fallen for Hafija Gorji and she for him.

Had the attack gone to plan, it could have been Mo, now 23, his 31-year-old sister and unsuspecting parents who perished in that horrific fire on London Road.

From 175 London Road to 135 London Road is just a short walk and one mistaken digit away, but the error saved Mo's life and condemned Abdullah and Ayesha Mohammed to their deaths.

Hafija Ibrahim was born in East London in January 1988 to first generation immigrant parents Mohammed and Miriam Ibrahim, who had relocated from the Gujarat region of India.

Brought up in England's capital, Hafija grew up in a westernised culture at odds with her parents' traditional, religious upbringing.

In 2005, aged 17, she went to India to live with her dad's sister – her aunt – and got on well with one of her aunt's sons – her cousin Jamal Gorji.

In fact, it was suggested during the trial by Owen Davies QC that this relationship caused gossip both in India and back home, prompting her concerned father to telephone, saying her behaviour was 'unacceptable' and the only way to resolve it was for her to marry Jamal.

She was a young girl, 'naive' by her own admissions and 'on an adventure'.

She entered into the marriage in 2006 'a little lightly', she accepted in court, and 'perhaps without thinking of the full consequences'.

Hafija returned alone to her parents home aged 18 and began a year-long process of getting new husband Jamal a Visa to live in the UK.

He finally joined her in 2007, but went straight to live with his brother and Rizwana in Blackburn. After a couple of months, Hafija's father gave her the money to buy 19 New Bank Road, Blackburn, and they began to live as husband and wife.

Traditionalist Jamal didn't like her to speak to other men, even work colleagues.

She had a job at local children's centre as a nursery nurse and was also studying at college, leaving less time to fill the role of a domestic wife which Jamal wanted.

Jeffrey Samuels QC, her brother's barrister during the trial, described 'fault lines' in the marriage.

Jamal wanted children immediately, Hafija didn't, but her failure to become pregnant was not the main source of tension.

She was expected to cook and clean, but felt whatever she did in the traditional Muslim wife role was not good enough.

She refused to quit smoking and stood up for herself, even to the point where fierce rows would occasionally spill over into violence against her, the trial was told.

After one such incident in January 2009, the relationship was permanently broken, the court heard.

Then in April she went alone to a friend's wedding in Manchester and met Mo Ibrahim.