Handyman Who Brutally Murdered Doctor And Her Teenage Daughter Jailed For Life

A handyman who brutally murdered a doctor and her teenage daughter before setting the victims' house ablaze has been jailed for life.

Shahbaz Khan, from Burnley, England, pleaded guilty to murdering Dr. Saman Mir Sacharvi, 50, and her daughter Vian Mangrio, 14, at Preston Crown Court on June 30. He was sentenced to life imprisonment, with a minimum jail term of 34 years, Tuesday, reported ITV.

The victims were found dead in their home on Colne Road in Reedley on Oct. 1, 2020, after someone called deputies and expressed concern over their welfare. Mangrio's severely burnt body was discovered in the lounge of the property. Meanwhile, Sacharvi's corpse was found in the front bedroom upstairs, bearing visible signs that someone tried to set her alight. Both of the victims had diazepam in their systems, implying they were drugged before they were killed.

Khan initially denied murdering the mother and daughter. He told the court it was the evil spirits, known in the Islamic faith as Jinns, that killed the victims, BBC News said in a report.

However, halfway through the trial, he pleaded guilty to two counts of murder and one count of arson, according to Lancs Live.

Khan's wife, Rabia Shahbaz, 45, stood trial alongside her husband and was found guilty of committing an act with intent to pervert the course of justice, having given false alibis for her husband on the day of the murders.

Deputies believe Khan set an electronic kettle ablaze in the kitchen to make it appear that an electrical issue started the fire. Police also found graffiti on the home's walls saying "My mum is evil" and "This is a Covid house." Officers think they were purposely written to suggest a conflict between the victims.

The prosecution argued in court that Khan drugged Dr. Saman by offering her a smoothie spiked with Diazepam. Her daughter was also killed in the same manner after she returned from school, authorities said as per ITV.

Deputies later found $31,201 worth of jewelry, which belonged to Sacharvi, in Khan and Shahbaz's loft. This intensified their suspicion that the handyman had a hand at the murders.

Prior to the sentencing, Khan reportedly made a last-minute attempt to withdraw the guilty plea by claiming he was unwell and his brain was controlled by two evil spirits called Robert and Tony when he entered the plea. However, the application was unsuccessful and Khan was sentenced on the same day.