Eight people accused of killing an innocent law student as she walked home from the supermarket are expected to appear in court tomorrow.

The defendants, six men and a woman, were due to enter pleas to charges of the murder of Aya Hachem and the attempted murder of their intended target at Preston Crown Court.

Ms Hachem, who was 19-years-old when she was gunned down, had been walking home from the supermarket along King Street in Blackburn when she was shot at from a moving car.

The Lebanese national was rushed to hospital but was sadly pronounced dead soon after.

A murder investigation was launched and a full-scale man hunt was initiated by detectives to track down those responsible for the crime.

It soon became apparent that Aya, who had been returning home from buying groceries, had not been the intended target of the attack when she was struck by a bullet fired from inside a passing car.

Zamir Raja, 32, of no fixed address; Ayaz Hussain, 34, of Calgary Avenue in Blackburn; Feroz Suleman, 39, of Shear Brow, Blackburn; Abubakir Satia, 31,and Uthman Satia, 28, both of Oxford Close, Blackburn; Judy Chapman, 26 of St Hubert’s Road in Great Harwood; Kashif Manzoor, 24, of of Shakeshaft Street, Blackburn and Anthony Ennis, 31, of Grasmere Road, Partington are all charged with murder and attempted murder.