ONE of four men accused of murdering an innocent couple in an arson attack at the wrong address told a jury he was ‘heartbroken and devastated’ when he found out what had happened.

Sadek Miah, 23, on the witness stand for the third day, told the court of his reaction when friend and co-defendant Habib Iqbal, 25, phoned him with news of their mistake.

Abdullah and Ayesha Mohammed were killed after a fire was started at their home in 175 London Road, Blackburn, last October.

The prosecution allege Hisamuddin Ibrahim, 21, Sadek Miah, 23, Mohammed Miah, 19, and Habib Iqbal, 25, all from East London, planned and carried out the arson attack to avenge the Ibrahim family’s honour. The jury has heard the plan was to scare Ibrahim’s married sister’s lover, but they got the wrong address.

Cross examining Sadek Miah, prosecutor Brian Cummings QC, said: “The truth is, I suggest, the problem was not you had killed someone, but that you hadn't killed the right person.”

Sadek Miah replied: “That's not true”

Mr Cummings said: “That's what you were worried about. Not that you had killed someone, but that you were at risk of being caught?”

Miah said: “I was heartbroken and devastated when I found out someone had died.

"I wasn't thinking about the car being at the scene. I wasn't thinking about getting rid of the car or burning it because someone had died because we'd got the wrong house.”

All four defendants deny the murder of Mr and Mrs Mohammed. Sadek Miah has pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of both.

(Proceeding)