Nottingham Crown Court was told that Iftikhar Naz explained to his girlfriend Louise Wan how he and his brother had strangled their sister while their mother held her legs down.

Iftikhar, 18, his brother Shazad, 22, and mother Shakeela, 45, all deny murdering Rukhsana Naz, who was seven months pregnant, in March 1998.

The family, from Derby, also deny destruction of the unborn child.

On Monday the court had been told the 19-year-old mother-to-be was murdered because she had brought shame upon her family.

'Family anger'

James Hunt QC, prosecuting, said the three had planned the murder and the two sons had disposed of their sister's body by putting it in a home-made sack then dumping it in a field in West Yorkshire.

He said: "The family were angry that Rukhsana had become pregnant by her boyfriend in England when she was married to a man in Pakistan. She had brought shame and disgrace on the family."

The court heard she had fallen pregnant by her boyfriend Imran, who worked in the same factory. But Rukhsana had had an arranged marriage at 16 to a man who lived in Pakistan and had two children by him.

On Tuesday Mr Naz's girlfriend, Miss Wan, told the court: "I asked what had happened and he said his sister was dead and he had been there and he said she had been strangled.

"He said he had pulled one end of the wire, or whatever it was, and he said his brother was pulling the other with all his force. He said Rukhsana's face went white and her tongue was sticking out."

'A joke'

She said Rukhsana was then put into a bag and driven to Denby Dale where she was dumped in a field.

She said: "I remember Iftikhar saying that his brother and mum were discussing killing Rukhsana but he took it as a joke."

She added that Mr Naz then asked her to lie if questioned and say that he had spent the evening of 26 March at her home.