A man who was involved in organising and arranging a shooting which killed an innocent law student has been jailed for life with a minimum of 32 years.

Louis Junior Otway, was found guilty at trial of murdering Aya Hachem from Blackburn on May 17 2020.

The 42-year-old was also found guilty of attempting to murder Pachah Khan.

Otway stood trial at Preston Crown Court in March alongside co-defendant Suhayl Suleman.

He is the final defendant to be jailed for his part in Aya's killing, which happened as she walked by RI Tyres and QuickShine Tyres in Blackburn after going shopping for groceries for her family during the holy month of Ramadan. 

Aya was not the intended target of the shooting, with the bullet meant for Pachah Khan, a business rival of Feroz Suleman.

The jury found Suhayl Suleman, brother of Feroz Suleman who ordered the hit on Pachah Khan, not guilty of the murder of Ms Hachem or attempted murder of Pachah Khan. He was told by the judge he could leave the dock from the front.

READ MORE: Aya Hachem killers jailed for a total of more than 200 years

During the trial, the prosecution argued Otway, of Clitheroe Road, Manchester, was involved in organising and arranging the shooting on May 17, he was the link between Ayaz Hussain and ‘his boys’, gunman Zamir Raja and the driver Anthony Ennis.

Before the shooting, the prosecution said Raja and Ennis had no real connection to Blackburn and the contact came through Otway’s friendship with Ayaz Hussain.

In the weeks leading up to the hit, Otway went to Blackburn to meet up with Hussain, with Raja later joining them.

On the day of the shooting, Otway was not in Blackburn but was one of the first people Hussain called after the plan went wrong.

Otway immediately called Raja and Ennis while travelling to Birmingham which the prosecution said was so he could get out of the way.

Otway told the jury he had nothing to do with the botched murder plot which was supposed to kill the owner of rival tyre shop QuickShine, but they did not believe him.

Feroz Suleman, Zamir Raja, Anthony Ennis, Ayaz Hussain, Abubakr Satia, Uthman Satia and Kashif Manzoor were all jailed after being found guilty of murder and attempted murder in a trial last year.

Uthman Satia's girlfriend, Judy Chapman, was also jailed after being convicted of manslaughter.

In sentencing Otway, The Honourable Mr Justice Jacobs said: "No words of mine can convey the tragedy of the events that took place on May 17 2020.

"Aya Hachem was 19, and a very promising law student. She combined her studies with activities which helped victims of oppression. 

"Her life and dreams were shattered when she was the victim of a drive by shooting outside Quickshine Tyres in Blackburn.

"I have read accounts of the impact her death has had on the lives of those around her.

"I have also read the dignified statement read on behalf of the family in which they felt able despite the loss of their 'angel in heaven' to offer their thanks to the large number of people in the criminal justice system for justice being served. 

"The events of May 17 2020 brought devastation where there should have been pride, happiness and success.

"Feroz Suleman formed a plan to dispose of his rival in the business next door to him, a car wash run by Pachah Khan, Quickshine, which had started selling tyres in competition with his business.

"This led to a plan to kill him using hitmen. Feroz Suleman and others were convicted of murder at trial in this court in 2021.

"Those convicted of murder included Zamir Raja who was the gunman and Anthony Ellis who was the driver.

"Although you were not present in Blackburn on the day of the shooting you were a key part of the plan.

"Feroz Suleman and his Blackburn associates had no experience of contract killing and needed to find someone who could do it. This led to you - a drug dealer and someone involved in criminal violence.

"Ayaz Hussain was a key associate of Suleman and an associate of yours.

"Raja and Ennis were good friends of yours.

"You were a key part of the plan as Suleman not only needed people who would be happy to participate in the killing but people who were not from Blackburn and could make a quick getaway and not be linked to him.

"You made three visits to Blackburn before May 17 and met up with Raja and Suleman. You were clearly part of the planning. 

"After the shooting you tried to put some distance between yourself and those from Blackburn and you asked your friend to join you on a trip to Birmingham.

"Despite this you were very much part of the plan, a plan that went badly wrong.

"Raja fired the two shots at Khan. The first missed, the second hit Aya.

"You have shown no remorse for your involvement and denied it.

"Your conviction is a result of an immensely impressive police investigation. 

"There was a significant degree of planning. You were involved in this, you were the person Hussain turned to and you recruited Raja and Ennis. 

"You were part of the plot where there was intention to kill Pachah Khan. 

"You knew exactly how this killing was going to take place - a drive by shooting. 

"This was committed in public. You have two serious convictions for violence, 12 and 14 years old.

"There's very little mitigation on your behalf and I have to bear in mind that you are the oldest of those convicted and you will be spending the rest of your life, or certainly the most part of it in prison."

Otway will only be considered for parlole once he has served his minimum term in jail. 

He was also jailed for 25 years for the attempted murder of Pachah Khan, a sentence which will run concurrently with his life sentence.