Moment 'greedy' shopkeeper, 33, who murdered five people in a £300,000 insurance scam explosion lied about escaping from the 'hell' blaze just hours after he doused his supermarket in six gallons of petrol and started the fire himself
A shopkeeper who helped cause a huge shop explosion which killed five people in a botched £300,000 insurance scam lied about escaping from the 'hellish' blaze just hours after it took hold.
Store owner Aram Kurd, 33, is facing life in jail after being convicted of murder along with Arkan Ali, 37, and Hawkar Hassan, 32, following a five-week trial.
The devastating blast obliterated the Zabka Polish supermarket in Leicester, killing a mother and her two sons, as well as one of the teenager's girlfriends.
The gang even left their co-conspirator, Viktorija Ljevleva, 22, who worked in the shop to die in the blaze, while brazen Kurd shamelessly gave TV interviews describing how he was lucky to escape the explosion.
Kurd said shortly after the blaze on February 25: 'I couldn't breathe. Everywhere I could see fire, like I was inside hell. It was a big noise. I found myself going up and then to the floor.
'For two or three minutes I couldn't feel anything. I was shouting 'Viktorija, Viktorija'. I can't believe what has happened. I don't know how I survived. For some reason God has decided to keep me alive. I know I am extremely lucky.'
Kurd, pictured in a witness interview, has now been convicted of murder after the fire
(From left) Hawkar Hassan, Arkan Ali and Aram Kurd who caused a huge shop explosion which killed five people in a botched £300,000 insurance scam have been found guilty of murder
Mary Rajoobeer (centre) and two of her sons, Sean (left) and Shane (right), were killed
Viktorija Ljevleva (left) and Shane's girlfriend, Leah Reek (right, pictured together), also died
A court heard the scheming trio callously caused the explosion by dousing the shop in 'many, many litres of petrol' which sent a fireball tearing through the building.
Care worker Mary Ragoobeer, 46, and her two sons Shane, 18, and Sean, 17, perished in the inferno at their two-storey flat above the store.
Leah Beth Reek, 18, from Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, who was Shane's girlfriend, and Ms Ljevleva, from Oldham, were also killed.
Ali, Kurd and Hassan were convicted of five counts of murder as well as conspiracy to commit fraud after a jury deliberated for 11 hours and 20 minutes.
The jury was previously told the men caused the massive blast 'out of greed' so they could fork in hundreds of thousands of pounds from a bogus insurance claim
A court artist's sketch of (from left) Hussan, Ali and Kurd in the dock at Leicester Crown Court
Molly Reek pays tribute to her late sister Leah outside Leicester Crown Court today
The three men showed no emotion in the dock at Leicester Crown Court while the verdicts
Family members of the victims wept in the public gallery, while outside court Ms Reek's sister Molly described the victim as 'beautiful' and said: 'A light went out of our world on that terrible night, and it is so difficult to put into words how much we miss Leah.'
The jury was previously told the men caused the massive blast 'out of greed' so they could fork in hundreds of thousands of pounds from a bogus insurance claim.
It was claimed they were fully aware that Ms Ljevleva, who was in on the scam, would perish in the explosion but let her die anyway as 'she knew too much'.
The three men had previously claimed for loss of stock, contents and future loss of business before the explosion took place.
Scotty Ragoobeer, 15-year-old brother of Shane and Sean, was rescued from the rubble and survived. Passerby Thomas Lindop, 56, was also seriously injured.
CCTV and traffic camera footage released by police at the end of the trial shows people escaping from a nearby takeaway moments after the explosion, and rubble being blasted into the roadway as cars pass by.
Footage recovered by police from a neighbouring business showed Ali in shot three days before the blast - moments before the camera angle was moved.
Further images from the same CCTV unit a day before the fire showed a gloved hand moving the camera angle again - at a time when all three defendants were nearby.
Kurd was also recorded on a security camera as he escaped from the scene at the rear of the shop.
Ali, Hassan and Ms Ljevleva bought 26.6 litres of unleaded from a petrol station the day before the blast.
The devastating blast obliterated the Zabka Polish supermarket in Leicester on February 25
The three men had previously claimed for loss of stock, contents and future loss of business before the explosion took place
CCTV shows people escaping from a nearby takeaway moments after the explosion
CCTV footage released by police shows rubble being blasted into the roadway as cars pass by
Ali and Ms Ljevleva also purchased smoke alarms from B&Q and four litres of white spirit from Wilko.
During the trial, David Herbert QC, prosecuting, said the blast was so loud that people living near by thought that a bomb had gone off.
He added that it 'did not bother these defendants one bit' that a family were in the flat enjoying their Sunday evening.
He said: 'It was an explosion caused by many, many litres of petrol. It was deliberate.
Kurd (circled) was recorded on a camera as he escaped from the scene at the rear of the shop
Hassan fills a petrol can. Around 26 litres of petrol was used to start the fire in the basement
CCTV also captured Hassan paying in cash for the petrol, which triggered a massive explosion
'It was a plan to profit from a false insurance claim for loss of stock, contents and future loss of business from the shop that was on the ground floor.
'Evidence indicates that had the crime been successful the insurance claim would have been in the region of £300,000.
'In part it boils down to greed. It is a case of murder.'
High Court judge Mr Justice Holgate remanded all three men in custody until sentencing in mid-January.
After the case, Detective Chief Inspector Michelle Keen, of Leicesteshire Police, said: 'The people responsible for carrying out this financially-motivated atrocity will now feel the full weight of justice.
Kurd (pictured after the blast) intended to claim against an over-inflated insurance policy
The Zabka Polish supermarket, which was destroyed, is pictured prior to the explosion
'Their crimes have caused unspeakable grief to the families of those killed and injured, and brought utter chaos and devastation to the many residents and businesses of Leicester's Hinckley Road.
'I praise the community which responded so bravely, sensitively, and calmly to the horror of that night.
'I praise all the emergency services, hospital staff, paramedics, city council, and voluntary and other community groups who helped respond to the tragedy with such fortitude, conviction and professionalism.
'I praise my investigation team, whose determination to bring those responsible to justice was unstinting.
'And my heart goes out to the families and friends of all those who died and were injured in the blast and subsequent fire that night. I hope that they can take some small solace from the outcome of these judicial proceedings..'
