Three men have been convicted of murder after deliberately starting a fire at a Leicester shop that killed five people, including a woman and her two sons, in a plot to claim a £300,000 insurance payout.

Arkan Ali, 38, Hawkar Hassan, 33, and Aram Kurd, 34, used dozens of litres of petrol in an arson attack on a Polish supermarket, triggering a huge explosion which tore through the shop and destroyed the flat above it.

They left Viktorija Ijevleva, a 22-year-old shopworker, to die in the building because she was aware of the insurance policy, which had been taken out less than three weeks earlier, Leicester crown court heard during the five-week trial.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Left to right: Hawkar Hassan, Arkan Ali and Aram Kurd. Photograph: Leicestershire police/PA

Ali, Hassan and Kurd were unanimously found guilty of five counts of murder on Friday after they had denied murder and alternative counts of manslaughter.

They were also convicted of conspiring with Ijevleva, who was Ali’s girlfriend, to make a gain by dishonestly pursuing an insurance claim in respect of the fire.

Ijevleva, Mary Ragoobeer, 46, her teenage sons Shane and Sean, and 18-year-old Leah Beth Reek, who was Shane’s girlfriend, were all killed in the blast on 25 February in Hinckley Road.

Such was the ferocity of the explosion that some residents living nearby thought a bomb had had been detonated, the court heard. In fact, about 26 litres of petrol had been used to start the fire in the supermarket’s basement, causing the explosion just after 7pm.

CCTV and traffic camera footage released by the police after the trial show people fleeing from a nearby takeaway moments later. Rubble was also blasted into the road as cars passed.

Other footage police recovered from a neighbouring business showed Ali three days before the blast, moments before the angle of the camera was moved.

A day before the fire, other images from the same CCTV unit showed a gloved hand again moving the camera angle at a time when all the defendants were nearby. Another CCTV camera recorded Kurd escaping from the scene at the rear of the shop.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Brothers Sean and Shane Rajoobeer with their mother Mary, three of the five victims of the explosion. Photograph: Leicestershire police/PA

Ali, Hassan and Kurd, who were remanded in custody, will be sentenced later this month.

David Herbert, prosecuting, told the jury at the start of the trial that the trio had intended to maximise the damage to the shop and would have been aware that people would have been in the two-storey flat above.

“The explosion and the proceeding fire demolished a building and killed five people in the building – one person who was in the shop and four who were in the flat above enjoying a peaceful night in,” he said.

“Even on camera 50 metres away you can see the explosion and the enormity of what happened. It was an explosion, the prosecution say, caused by many, many litres of petrol.

“The explosion and the fire that followed was deliberately caused by these defendants who intended to profit from loss of stock, contents and future loss of business from the shop. It was not an accident, the prosecution say, that the petrol used caused such devastating damage.”

Describing the unlawful killing of Ijevleva, Herbert said: “The defendants thought she knew too much and decided to leave her to die in the explosion that they created. In other words, the devastation that they caused was carried out with the intention to kill.”

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Viktorija Ijevleva was left to die because she was aware of the insurance policy, the court heard. Photograph: Leicestershire police/PA

A statement was read out on the court steps by DC Steve Markley on behalf of Jose Ragoobeer, the husband of Mary and father of Shane and Sean Ragoobeer. He said Mary was devoted to her family and had two jobs to ensure her sons had everything they needed. “She always made sure that the boys had the latest gear, including football kits for the teams they supported.”

Reek’s family said she had been looking forward to training as a nurse. Her older sister, Molly, said: “We have been asked to try to explain the impact on our lives after losing Leah in such horrific circumstances.

“She was an amazing, inspirational young lady who had only turned 18 last July. She was just starting out on her life adventure. In her 18 too short but wonderful years, she made a lasting impression on everyone lucky enough to know her.

“We miss her terribly, every second of every day we carry the pain of losing Leah. She has left a Leah-shaped hole in our hearts that nothing will ever fill. She was too special for anyone that didn’t know her to fully understand the impact her death has had on so many.”</s>ASSOCIATED PRESS The shop was completely destroyed by the blast

Three men have been found guilty of murder in relation to a shop explosion in Leicester.

Aram Kurd, Arkan Ali and Hawkar Hassan, who denied five counts of murder and five alternative counts of manslaughter, were found guilty at Leicester Crown Court today.

They were also convicted of conspiracy to commit insurance fraud.

On 25 February, the fire tore through a Polish supermarket and two-storey flat on Hinckley Road.

Mary Ragoobeer, 46; her two sons Shane, 18, and 17-year-old Sean and Shane’s 18-year-old girlfriend Leah Beth Reek were killed in the blast, along with Viktorija Ljevleva, 22. Several others were injured.

Disturbing police bodycam footage shown to the court showed a casualty, Thomas Lindop, under the rubble with a severe head injury.

He had been walking by the shop at the time of the blast and suffered a traumatic brain injury and fractures to his skull, head, pelvis and spine, leaving him in hospital for around three months.

During the trial, families of those who died were in tears as they heard cries for help on some of the footage shown to the court, including teenager Scotty Ragoobeer, who survived the explosion in what the prosecution described as a “miracle”.</s>Aram Kurd, Arkan Ali and Hawkar Hassan have been convicted at Leicester Crown Court of murdering five people in a shop explosion.

All three men were also found guilty of conspiracy to commit insurance fraud.

Kurd, Ali and Hassan showed little emotion at the verdicts after the jury took just over 11 hours to unanimously convict them of murder.

The first two defendants were also unanimously convicted of conspiracy to commit fraud, while Hassan was convicted of the offence by a majority 11-1 verdict.

Kurd glanced around the courtroom as the jury foreman took around 10 minutes to confirm the verdicts, while Ali sat with his arms folded looking towards his barrister.

High Court judge Mr Justice Holgate remanded all three men in custody until sentencing in mid-January.

Yesterday at Leicester Crown Court the jury of seven women and five men returned after the Christmas break to continue their deliberations.

The court was opened specially as it would normally stay closed between Christmas and New Year.

They returned this morning to announce their verdict.

All three men have been found guilty of murder and conspiracy to commit insurance fraud.

They will be sentenced at a later date.

The prosecution had claimed the three had hoped to pocket £300,000 by claiming the blast was accidental.

They poured “many, many litres” of petrol inside Polish store Zabka before deliberately sparking it, jurors were told.

Prosecutor David Herbert QC said the blast was so huge residents thought it was a “bomb exploding”

He told the jury: “It was an explosion caused by many, many litres of petrol. There was no gas supply to the shop. It was a petrol vapour explosion.

“It was so powerful it demolished the entire building and killed five people inside. One had been left in the shop and four others were in the flat above, enjoying a peaceful Sunday evening together."</s>Three men who killed five people in a "bomb-like" shop blast have been convicted of murder and plotting to claim a £300,000 insurance pay-out.

Arkan Ali, Hawkar Hassan and Aram Kurd used "many, many litres of petrol" in an arson attack on Kurd's supermarket - causing an explosion which completely destroyed the shop and a flat above the premises.

Leicester Crown Court heard how some residents living near the Polish supermarket on Hinckley Road, Leicester, thought a bomb had reduced the property to rubble.

A five-week trial was told the defendants left shop worker Viktorija Ijevleva, 22, to die in the building because she was aware of the insurance policy taken out less than three weeks earlier.

Opening the Crown's case at the start of the trial, prosecutor David Herbert QC told a jury of seven women and five men the defendants intended to maximise the damage to the premises and "would have known" people would have been in the two-storey flat above.

Ali, 38, Hassan, 33, and Kurd, 34, were assisted by a Kurdish interpreter throughout the trial after denying murder and alternative counts of manslaughter.

But they were unanimously found guilty of five counts of murder after 11 hours and 26 minutes of deliberations.

The trio were also convicted of conspiring with Ms Ijevleva to make a gain, by dishonestly pursuing an insurance claim in respect of the fire.

Ms Ijevleva, Mary Ragoobeer, 46, her teenage sons Shane and Sean, and 18-year-old Leah Beth Reek, 18, who was Shane's girlfriend, were all killed in the blast on Sunday, February 25.

Around 26 litres of petrol was used to start the fire in the basement of the supermarket, triggering a massive explosion at 7.01pm.

CCTV and traffic camera footage released by police at the end of the trial shows people escaping from a nearby takeaway moments after the explosion, and rubble being blasted into the roadway as cars pass by.

Footage recovered by police from a neighbouring business showed Ali in shot three days before the blast - moments before the camera angle was moved.

Further images from the same CCTV unit a day before the fire showed a gloved hand moving the camera angle again - at a time when all three defendants were nearby.

Kurd was also recorded on a security camera as he escaped from the scene at the rear of the shop.

Ali, of Drake Close, Oldham, Hassan, of Eld Road, Coventry, and Kurd, of Hillary Place, Leicester, were remanded in custody and will be sentenced in mid-January.</s>Three men who killed five people in a “bomb-like” shop blast have been convicted of murder and plotting to claim a £300,000 insurance pay-out.

Arkan Ali, Hawkar Hassan and Aram Kurd used “many, many litres of petrol” in an arson attack on Kurd’s supermarket – causing an explosion which completely destroyed the shop and a flat above the premises.

Leicester Crown Court heard how some residents living near the Polish supermarket on Hinckley Road, Leicester, thought a bomb had reduced the property to rubble.

A five-week trial was told the defendants left shop worker Viktorija Ijevleva, 22, to die in the building because she was aware of the insurance policy taken out less than three weeks earlier. Brothers Sean Rajoobeer, 17 (left) and Shane Rajoobeer, 18, and their mother Mary, three of the five victims of the Hinckley Road explosion in Leicester (Leicestershire Police)

Opening the Crown’s case at the start of the trial, prosecutor David Herbert QC told a jury of seven women and five men the defendants intended to maximise the damage to the premises and “would have known” people would have been in the two-storey flat above.

Ali, 38, Hassan, 33, and Kurd, 34, were assisted by a Kurdish interpreter throughout the trial after denying murder and alternative counts of manslaughter.

But they were unanimously found guilty of five counts of murder after 11 hours and 26 minutes of deliberations. Viktorija Ljevleva was among the victims (Leicestershire Police)

The trio were also convicted of conspiring with Ms Ijevleva to make a gain, by dishonestly pursuing an insurance claim in respect of the fire.

Ms Ijevleva, Mary Ragoobeer, 46, her teenage sons Shane and Sean, and 18-year-old Leah Beth Reek, 18, who was Shane’s girlfriend, were all killed in the blast on Sunday February 25.

Around 26 litres of petrol was used to start the fire in the basement of the supermarket, triggering a massive explosion at 7.01pm.

CCTV and traffic camera footage released by police at the end of the trial shows people escaping from a nearby takeaway moments after the explosion, and rubble being blasted into the roadway as cars pass by.

Footage recovered by police from a neighbouring business showed Ali in shot three days before the blast – moments before the camera angle was moved.

Further images from the same CCTV unit a day before the fire showed a gloved hand moving the camera angle again – at a time when all three defendants were nearby.

Kurd was also recorded on a security camera as he escaped from the scene at the rear of the shop.

Ali, of Drake Close, Oldham, Hassan, of Eld Road, Coventry, and Kurd, of Hillary Place, Leicester, were remanded in custody and will be sentenced in mid-January.

During his opening address, Mr Herbert told jurors: “The explosion and the proceeding fire demolished a building and killed five people in the building – one person who was in the shop and four who were in the flat above enjoying a peaceful night in.”

Mr Herbert said: “Even on camera 50 metres away you can see the explosion and the enormity of what happened.

“It was an explosion, the prosecution say, caused by many, many litres of petrol.

“The explosion and the fire that followed was deliberately caused by these defendants who intended to profit from loss of stock, contents and future loss of business from the shop.

“It was not an accident, the prosecution say, that the petrol used caused such devastating damage.”

Describing the unlawful killing of Ms Ijevleva, Mr Herbert added: “The defendants thought she knew too much and decided to leave her to die in the explosion that they created.

“In other words, the devastation that they caused was carried out with the intention to kill.”</s>Three men have been found guilty of murder after they deliberately set fire to a shop in Leicester, causing an explosion that killed five people.

Shopkeeper Aram Kurd, 34, and his friends Arkan Ali, 37, and Hawkar Hassan, 33, plotted to destroy the Polish supermarket in order to claim £300,000 in insurance because the business was failing.

The trial at Leicester Crown Court heard that Ali's girlfriend, Viktorija Ijevleva, who worked in the shop, was left to die in the blaze because she had been in on the plot and "knew too much".

"In other words, the devastation that they caused was carried out with the intention to kill," prosecutor David Herbert QC told the trial.

Ms Ijevleva and Mary Ragoobeer, 46, her teenage sons Shane and Sean, and 18-year-old Leah Beth Reek, who was Shane's girlfriend, were all killed in the blast in February.

The Ragoobeer family lived in the flat above the shop which was completely destroyed.

Mrs Ragoobeer's husband Jose was out at work at the time of the explosion. Their third son survived after he was rescued from the rubble.

Mr Herbert told the court that Kurd, Ali and Hassan intended to maximise the damage to the premises and "would have known" people were in the two-storey flat above.

The day before the explosion, Hassan was seen on CCTV buying 26 litres of petrol. The container he put it in was recovered from the wreckage after the fire.

On the night of the blast, Ali doused the basement of the building with petrol before running to be collected in the getaway car, driven by Hassan.

Kurd remained in the shop and emerged soon after the blast, feigning shock and concern for the victims.

In the hours afterwards he did a series of television interviews expressing concern for the people trapped inside the building.

But soon police began to suspect the fire was started deliberately.

"The evidence shows that this was a really callous act borne out of greed and financial gain and showed a real disregard for human life," Detective Chief Inspector Michelle Keen told Sky News.

The trial heard that the explosion was so loud that people nearby thought a bomb had gone off.

Kurd chose not to give evidence during the trial. Both Ali and Hassan went into the witness box to claim they did not know of any plan to set fire to the shop.

Mr Herbert told the jury "they are remorseless, callous men dominated by greed, who have proved they're capable of trampling over the boundaries of basic human decency and honesty".</s>Three men have been found guilty of murder after setting fire to 26 litres of petrol in the basement of a shop in Leicester. Aram Kurd, Arkan Ali and Hawkar Hassan killed five people with the blaze and were also found guilty of conspiracy to commit insurance fraud, as they had hoped to benefit from a £330,000 insurance payout. On 25 February, the fire tore through a Polish supermarket and two-storey flat on Hinckley Road. Mary Ragoobeer, 46; her two sons Shane, 18, and 17-year-old Sean and Shane’s 18-year-old girlfriend Leah Beth Reek were killed in the blast, along with Viktorija Ljevleva, 22. Several others were injured.

The investigation into the men led police to trawl through over 700 hours of CCTV footage, and examined more than 2,500 exhibits, 1,000 witness statements and 4,000 different lines of inquiry. Leicestershire Police said shopkeeper Kurd, who gave an account to the media after the blast, “probably felt there was a need” to tell his story in a deceitful bid to cover his tracks. Speaking of the explosion itself, Detective Chief Inspector Michelle Keen, who led the investigation, said: “The evidence we have identified is that this was a significant amount of petrol - significant such that it caused that level of devastation and five people lost their lives.” Describing the CCTV evidence, Keen continued: “We know there were acts of planning - we don’t know whether they knew about the cameras. “Certainly some cameras were moved in an attempt to avoid detection but we will never truly know what was in their mind as they haven’t told us.”

Keen added that the motive behind the killings “seem[ed] to be purely financial greed and personal gain”. “The intention was to claim against an over-inflated insurance policy for business interruption and contents,” she said. “There was significant investment into the shop’s set-up and it is evident that it wasn’t as profitable as expected. This led to the subsequent fire and explosion.” Disturbing police bodycam footage shown to the court showed a casualty, Thomas Lindop, under the rubble with a severe head injury. He had been walking by the shop at the time of the blast and suffered a traumatic brain injury and fractures to his skull, head, pelvis and spine, leaving him in hospital for around three months. During the trial, families of those who died were in tears as they heard cries for help on some of the footage shown to the court, including teenager Scotty Ragoobeer, who survived the explosion in what the prosecution described as a “miracle”.</s>Three men who killed five people in a "bomb-like" shop blast have been convicted of murder and plotting to claim a £300,000 insurance pay-out.

Arkan Ali, Hawkar Hassan and Aram Kurd used "many, many litres of petrol" in an arson attack on Kurd's supermarket - causing an explosion which completely destroyed the shop and a flat above the premises.

Leicester Crown Court heard how some residents living near the Polish supermarket on Hinckley Road, Leicester, thought a bomb had reduced the property to rubble.

A five-week trial was told the defendants left shop worker Viktorija Ijevleva, 22, to die in the building because she was aware of the insurance policy taken out less than three weeks earlier.

Opening the Crown's case at the start of the trial, prosecutor David Herbert QC told a jury of seven women and five men the defendants intended to maximise the damage to the premises and "would have known" people would have been in the two-storey flat above.

Ali, 38, Hassan, 33, and Kurd, 34, were assisted by a Kurdish interpreter throughout the trial after denying murder and alternative counts of manslaughter.

But they were unanimously found guilty of five counts of murder after 11 hours and 26 minutes of deliberations.

The trio were also convicted of conspiring with Ms Ijevleva to make a gain, by dishonestly pursuing an insurance claim in respect of the fire.

Ms Ijevleva, Mary Ragoobeer, 46, her teenage sons Shane and Sean, and 18-year-old Leah Beth Reek, 18, who was Shane's girlfriend, were all killed in the blast on Sunday February 25.

Around 26 litres of petrol was used to start the fire in the basement of the supermarket, triggering a massive explosion at 7.01pm.

CCTV and traffic camera footage released by police at the end of the trial shows people escaping from a nearby takeaway moments after the explosion, and rubble being blasted into the roadway as cars pass by.

Footage recovered by police from a neighbouring business showed Ali in shot three days before the blast - moments before the camera angle was moved.

Further images from the same CCTV unit a day before the fire showed a gloved hand moving the camera angle again - at a time when all three defendants were nearby.

Kurd was also recorded on a security camera as he escaped from the scene at the rear of the shop.

Ali, of Drake Close, Oldham, Hassan, of Eld Road, Coventry, and Kurd, of Hillary Place, Leicester, were remanded in custody and will be sentenced in mid-January.

During his opening address, Mr Herbert told jurors: "The explosion and the proceeding fire demolished a building and killed five people in the building - one person who was in the shop and four who were in the flat above enjoying a peaceful night in."

Mr Herbert said: "Even on camera 50 metres away you can see the explosion and the enormity of what happened.

"It was an explosion, the prosecution say, caused by many, many litres of petrol.

"The explosion and the fire that followed was deliberately caused by these defendants who intended to profit from loss of stock, contents and future loss of business from the shop.

"It was not an accident, the prosecution say, that the petrol used caused such devastating damage."

Describing the unlawful killing of Ms Ijevleva, Mr Herbert added: "The defendants thought she knew too much and decided to leave her to die in the explosion that they created.

"In other words, the devastation that they caused was carried out with the intention to kill."

In a statement issued by police after the verdict, Jose Ragoobeer, the husband of Mary, and father of Shane and Sean Ragoobeer, said: "Mary was a hard-working, loving mother and wife who was devoted to her family.

"Shane was in a relationship with a lovely girl called Leah. They were so happy together. Leah was a lovely girl who bought so much joy and happiness to our home.

"Sean was a good person and loving son who like Shane was always willing to help family and friends. He was looking forward to going to university and to study French and history."

The family of Leah said she had been looking forward to training as a nurse.

Speaking outside court, her older sister Molly said: "The light went out of our world on that terrible night. No parent should ever have to arrange a funeral for their child. It is so difficult to put into words how much we miss Leah."</s>THREE men have been convicted of murdering five people in a shop explosion as part of a botched insurance scam.

Aram Kurd, Arkan Ali and Hawkar Hassan have been convicted at Leicester Crown Court of murdering five people after setting fire to the Polish supermarket because the business was failing. They have also been found guilty of conspiracy to commit insurance fraud in attempt to embezzle £300,000. Shop worker Viktorija Ijevleva, 22, Mary Ragoobeer, 46, along with her teenage sons Shane and Sea and Shane’s girlfriend Leah Beth Reek, 18, were killed in the blast on Hinckley Road, Leicester in February. The court heard that Viktorija Ijevleva was left to die in the blaze because she “knew too much”.

Prosecutor David Herbert QC told the trial: "In other words, the devastation that they caused was carried out with the intention to kill.” Mary Ragoobeer lived in the flat above which was completely destroyed. She died along with her sons and Shane’s girlfriend Leah Beth Reek. Mrs Ragoobeer’s husband Jose was out at work at the time of the explosion and their third son survived after being rescued from the rubble.

Mr Herbert told the court that the three defendants intended to maximise damage to the property and “would have known” people were in the flat above. The day before the explosion, Hassan was seen on CCTV buying 26 litres of petrol. After the fire, the container he used was recovered from the wreckage. Ali doused the basement of the building in petrol before running to be collected in the getaway car driven by Hassan.

Kurd feigned shock and concern for the victims as well as doing a series of television interviews. But police began to suspect the fire was deliberate soon afterwards. The jury took just over 11 hours to unanimously convict them of murder. The first two defendants were also unanimously convicted of conspiracy to commit fraud, while Hassan was convicted of the offence by a majority 11-1 verdict. Kurd glanced around the courtroom as the jury foreman took around 10 minutes to confirm the verdicts, while Ali sat with his arms folded looking towards his barrister.</s>Three men in Britain have been found guilty of murdering five people in an explosion as part of a plot to claim over 300,000 pounds ($380,000) from an insurance policy.

Arkan Ali, Hawkar Hassan and Aram Kurd were convicted Friday in Leicester Crown Court.

Prosecutors say they used around 26 liters (7 gallons) of gasoline in an arson attack in February on a supermarket, causing a blast that destroyed the shop and an apartment above.

Prosecutors say the men left a shop worker to die in the building because she was aware of the insurance policy taken out less than three weeks earlier. Four others also died in the explosion.
The three men suspected of causing an explosion at a shop in Leicester in February are convicted of murder. The explosion destroyed the shop and the flat above it, killing five people. The three men were also convicted of conspiracy with one of the victims to commit insurance fraud.