Thugs who killed a family in a Leicester house fire are jailed for 134 years

Shehnila Taufiq, 47, her daughter, Zainab, 19, and sons Bilal, 17, and Jamil, 15, perished after a 'ferocious' blaze engulfed their home in the early hours of the morning on September 13 last year.

Mrs Taufiq's husband, consultant neurosurgeon Dr Muhammed Taufiq Sattar, 52, survived because he was working in Dublin at the time of the inferno.

A two-month long trial at Nottingham Crown Court had heard the intended target of the arson attack was a teenager whose mother lived just two doors away from the family in Wood Hill, Leicester.

Seven hours earlier the 19-year-old had been involved in a confrontation with football coach Antoin Akpom, 20, a friend and associate of the gang, in which Mr Akpom was stabbed to death.

The incident took place less than a mile from the scene of the fire.

The eight-strong gang struck at the mid-terraced home where Mrs Taufiq and her children were sleeping, believing it was linked to the teen.

But tragically, they got the wrong house.

One senior fire officer described the resulting blaze, which was started by petrol being poured through the letterbox then ignited as the 'worst he had ever attended'.

Despite the efforts of neighbours and fire crews, nothing could be done to save the family after the fire was started at around 12.30am.

Dr Sattar, who had spoken to his wife and children on the phone just over an hour before the blaze started, sat through the trial in the public gallery and was in court to see the gang jailed.

Two men, Tristan Richards, 22, and 19-year-old Kemo Porter, who were found guilty of murder, were jailed for life and told they must serve at least 35 and 25 years before they can be considered for release.

Richards was the ring leader of the fatal attack and Porter his main accomplice.

Six others were convicted of manslaughter. Shaun Carter, 24, and Nathaniel Mullings, 19, were each jailed for 15 years.

Jackson Powell, Aaron Webb, both 20, and Akeem Jeffers, 21, were all jailed for 12 years.

Cairo Parker, 17, was told he must serve eight years.

Giving evidence, the defendants, who are all from Leicester, said Richards had "terrified" them and had a "reputation".

They said he had poured the petrol and started the fire using a lighter given to them by Porter.

The other six defendants said they had not known of any plans to set fire to the house and claimed they had only intended to throw bricks at the property.

Hussein Hussein, a Somali refugee from London, was convicted of Mr Akpom's murder and jailed for life in April this year.

Sentencing, Judge Justice Griffith Williams told the gang that the "fateful revenge attack" had been "premeditated and planned".

After petrol had been ignited flames had rapidly "consumed the house" and there "was no escape for the family from that ferocious fire".

The judge said that within seconds of the fire starting neighbours had heard cries for "help" coming from the children's bedrooms.

He accepted that the six gang members convicted of manslaughter "had acted out of character" and had been "carried away by their own grief" after their friend Mr Akpom had been stabbed.

But, the judge added, all the defendants were guilty of "group offending" in a "heartless and malicious act."

Dr Taufiq had told the judge that the defendants should remain locked up forever.

A tearful Dr Taufiq made his claim in an emotional victim impact statement he gave to the court on Tuesday.

"I cannot say that I am living. I merely exist.

"I am like a brutally wounded bird without wings," he told the judge as the convicted men sat in the dock.

"My view is that such criminals should not be let outside of the prison for the rest of their lives to prevent such a crime reoccurring, to set an example of intolerance of such inhumane crimes and, as a result, to keep our society safe.

Dr Taufiq added: "The fire has stolen everything from me.

"I have lost my soul-mate, my confidante and my best friends.

"I have no-one to talk to and share my feelings with.

"I feel terribly lonely. I feel haunted by the past and the reality of it haunts my future.

"I feel sad, angry, betrayed and isolated. My loneliness is unbearable.

"I didn't get to say goodbye."