Six siblings from a "traditional Asian Muslim family" from Lancashire
have been jailed for attempting to kidnap the girlfriend of one of their
sisters, threatening to kill her
because she had "messed with the wrong Muslims".
Almost three years ago Nazma Ditta, 28, one of nine children from
Blackburn, began a secret relationship with Sarah-Jane Harrison, 35,
when both women worked at a clothes shop in Blackburn.
Unhappy that Nazma was in a same-sex relationship with a white,
non-Muslim woman, six of her siblings plotted to break up the
relationship.
They wanted her to enter into an arranged marriage with a cousin or
another man, and discussed putting her on a plane to Pakistan.
Three of Nazma's sisters, one wearing a full-face veil, were caught on
CCTV kicking and punching Harrison after she finished work at USC
Clothing in Blackburn town center on 20 June last year.
They were shown dragging her to the floor by her hair and snatching her
handbag, before rifling through it to take out Nazma's passport and
other things belonging to her. Previously, text messages exchanged
between the siblings had talked about "battering that bitch". One, sent
by Nayyar Mehmood, 38, the second eldest sibling, urged her siblings to
attack Harrison and said: "A kaffir [non-believer] is taking over."
CCTV shows Nighat Morris, 39, the eldest child in the family, along with
her sisters Tosif Ditta, 35, and Ghazala Ditta, 31, trying and failing
to bundle Harrison into the back of a car before driving away. They were
guarded throughout the attack by Tahmoor Ditta, 26, one of Nazma's
brothers. He had a bradawl, a sharp carpentry tool, "clenched in his
fist with the spike poking out between his fingers", which he used to
try to scare off one of Harrison's colleagues who tried to intervene in
the attack.
Both Harrison and her colleague told police the family shouted: "Get her
in, get her in, you've messed with the wrong Muslims, we're going to
kill you."
Tamoor Ditta, 26, admitted several charges including conspiracy to commit
actual bodily harm and attempted kidnap. He was sentenced to six years in
prison. Ghazala Ditta, 31, Aftah Ditta, 32, and Nighat Morris, 39, were all sentenced
to five years and four months in prison after admitting conspiracy to commit
actual bodily harm, attempted kidnap and robbery. Tosif Ditta, 34, and Nayyar Mehmood, 38, were both sentenced to three years
and six months in prison after admitting conspiracy to commit actual bodily
harm.
Miss Ditta and Miss Harrison are still in a relationship.
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