Body burial plot trial collapses

The trial of two men accused of helping to hide the body of a woman in a "honour-killing" case has collapsed due to a lack of evidence.

Banaz Mahmod, 20, an Iraqi Kurd from south London, was killed and buried in a suitcase in Birmingham in April 2006.

Dashti Babaker, 21, her cousin from south-east London, and his friend Amir Abbas, 31, denied perverting the course of justice.

On Tuesday, the Old Bailey ruled there was insufficient evidence against them.

No case

Ms Mahmod's father Mahmod Mahmod and uncle Ari Mahmod and Mohamad Hama have been jailed for life for the murder.

Mr Babaker, of Redcar Street, Camberwell, and Mr Abbas, of no fixed address, were also freed from the charge of "preventing the lawful and decent burial of a corpse".

During the trial the court heard that the pair were living at the house in Alexandra Road, Handsworth, Birmingham, where Ms Mahmod's body was found buried 5ft deep in the back garden.

Judge Brian Barker ruled there was insufficient evidence against the men after submissions from their barristers at the end of the prosecution case that there was no case to answer.

Two other men, Mohammed Ali and Omar Hussein, are still wanted over the murder.

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