THE prosecution case in the murder trial of Fiaz Munshi has come to a close.

The 38-year-old is on trial at Oxford Crown Court accused of murdering eight-year-old Anum Khan and her 15-year-old brother Majid, in Magdalen Road, East Oxford, in the early hours of August 26, 1997.

In his re-examination by prosecutor Neil Moore, Detective Inspector Craig Kilby yesterday said the police investigated a number of motives in the original investigation 17 years ago.

These included one theory that Majid had been targeted after allegedly setting fire to Haroon Sharif’s car. Sharif was convicted of murder in the orginal trial in Birmingham in 1998.

Asked whether the police had found evidence of this, Mr Kilby said: “It was a rumour.

“At that stage we did not know much else. It was pursued and with some other sightings of his vehicle, he was arrested to be questioned about those rumours.”

In police interview, Sharif denied Majid had been involved in the attacks on his car.

Another motive, put forward by the defence as having not been investigated, was that Shehnaz, the elder sister of the dead children, had ended a relationship with Sharif, which lead to tensions.

Mr Moore asked: “Was there evidence of any acrimony (about the end of the relationship)?”

Mr Kilby said: “No, none that I have seen, unless I can be directed to any otherwise.”

Munshi denies two charges of murder.

The defence case is expected to open on Monday.

The trial continues.

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