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Murder of Aya Hachem

SOLVED2020King Street, Blackburn, Lancashire, England3 SOURCESUPDATED JUL 2026
Illustrative

Aya Hachem was a University of Salford law student originally from Lebanon, who had moved to the United Kingdom in 2011. On 17 May 2020, at approximately 15:00 BST, she was walking on King Street in Blackburn, Lancashire, when she was struck and killed by gunfire during a drive-by shooting.

The shooting was not intended to target Hachem. It was a hit ordered by Feroz Suleman, the manager of a tyre business, against a rival businessman named Pachah Khan, who was nearby at the time. The gunman, identified as Zamir Raja, fired the shots that struck Hachem instead, killing her as what is described as an act of crossfire in a planned attack that went wrong.

The case proceeded to a 12-week trial at Preston Crown Court in 2021. On 3 August 2021, seven men were convicted of murder in connection with the planned shooting: Feroz Suleman, who was said to have ordered the hit; Zamir Raja, the shooter; and Anthony Ennis, Ayaz Hussain, Abubakr Satia, Uthman Satia, and Kashif Manzoor, who were also found to have played a part in the plot. All seven were sentenced to life imprisonment on 5 August 2021.

A further defendant, Judy Chapman, the girlfriend of co-defendant Uthman Satia, was tried alongside the others. She was cleared of murder but convicted of manslaughter. Chapman was sentenced on 1 October 2021 to 15 years' imprisonment.

The case drew significant public attention in the UK due to the circumstances of Hachem's death — an uninvolved bystander killed as a result of a targeted attack aimed at someone else entirely.

Key facts

Victims
Aya Hachem
Date
2020
Location
King Street, Blackburn, Lancashire, England
Case status
solved

Case timeline

  1. 2020-05-17

    Aya Hachem was killed by gunfire in a drive-by shooting on King Street, Blackburn, Lancashire, during an attack targeting a rival businessman.

  2. 2021-08-03

    Seven men were convicted of murder at Preston Crown Court following a 12-week trial.

  3. 2021-08-05

    The seven convicted men were sentenced to life imprisonment.

  4. 2021-10-01

    Judy Chapman, cleared of murder but convicted of manslaughter, was sentenced to 15 years' imprisonment.

Best coverage

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People

  • Uthman Satia

    CONVICTED

    Convicted of murder for his part in the planned shooting; sentenced to life imprisonment.

  • Judy Chapman

    CONVICTED

    Girlfriend of co-defendant Uthman Satia; cleared of murder but convicted of manslaughter, sentenced to 15 years' imprisonment.

  • Anthony Ennis

    CONVICTED

    Convicted of murder for his part in the planned shooting; sentenced to life imprisonment.

  • Ayaz Hussain

    CONVICTED

    Convicted of murder for his part in the planned shooting; sentenced to life imprisonment.

  • Abubakr Satia

    CONVICTED

    Convicted of murder for his part in the planned shooting; sentenced to life imprisonment.

  • Feroz Suleman

    CONVICTED

    Manager of a tyre business who ordered the shooting targeting a rival businessman; convicted of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment.

  • Kashif Manzoor

    CONVICTED

    Convicted of murder for his part in the planned shooting; sentenced to life imprisonment.

  • Aya Hachem

    VICTIM

    19-year-old University of Salford law student killed by gunfire in Blackburn on 17 May 2020.

  • Zamir Raja

    CONVICTED

    Identified as the hitman/shooter in the drive-by shooting; convicted of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment.

Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.

Places

King Street, Blackburn, Lancashire, England

53.7486, -2.4820

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Common questions

What happened to the victim?
Aya Hachem, a 19-year-old law student, was killed by a stray bullet during a drive-by shooting in Blackburn, Lancashire, on 17 May 2020, in a botched hit targeting a rival businessman. Seven men were convicted of her murder in 2021 and a further woman was convicted of manslaughter.
Where did the murder happen?
King Street, Blackburn, Lancashire, England.
Who was convicted?
Uthman Satia (Convicted of murder for his part in the planned shooting; sentenced to life imprisonment.), Judy Chapman (Girlfriend of co-defendant Uthman Satia; cleared of murder but convicted of manslaughter, sentenced to 15 years' imprisonment.), Anthony Ennis (Convicted of murder for his part in the planned shooting; sentenced to life imprisonment.), Ayaz Hussain (Convicted of murder for his part in the planned shooting; sentenced to life imprisonment.), Abubakr Satia (Convicted of murder for his part in the planned shooting; sentenced to life imprisonment.), Feroz Suleman (Manager of a tyre business who ordered the shooting targeting a rival businessman; convicted of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment.), Kashif Manzoor (Convicted of murder for his part in the planned shooting; sentenced to life imprisonment.), and Zamir Raja (Identified as the hitman/shooter in the drive-by shooting; convicted of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment.).
What is the current status of the case?
Status: solved.
More cases in England

Sources

  1. ENCYCLOPEDICMurder of Aya HachemWikipedia · 2026-07-10
  2. PRESSAya Hachem: seven men jailed for life over Blackburn student's killing in botched hitThe Guardian · 2026-07-10
  3. PRESSAya Hachem murder: Coverage of Blackburn shooting caseBBC News · 2026-07-10

Record history

First published
JUL 10, 2026