Police in Blackburn after the shooting on May 17, 2020 (Image: PA)
On December 13, 2019 Suhayl Suleman’s car was tracked as being outside Otway’s home, however, Otway said that he had been for a meal with Hussain on the ‘Curry Mile’ and that he had dropped him back at home in the car.
In the weeks leading up to the shooting, Otway was tracked several times in Blackburn, but he claims this was to either buy weed, to get the car he bought from Hussain replaced and repaired, or to collect money owed by Hussain.
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READ MORE: Cocaine addict says killer brother kicked him out of business before murder plot
The prosecution has traced call logs made to and from Louis Otway to Ayaz Hussain, with calls being made to Zamir Raja and Anthony Ennis around these times, however, Otway said that this was either to do with buying weed or a car that Raja was renting .
During one of the trips to Blackburn, Otway told the court that he had a blowout and that Hussain took him to RI Tires to get it repaired.
Otway said: “I got there, they fixed my tyre. I overheard Feroz talking about the business over tires – it didn’t seem about anything.”
Mr Gardner said: “What Ayaz there?”
Otway replied: “Yeah Feroz was talking to Ayaz.”
Mr Gardner asked: “Something was said about some issue with RI Tires?”
READ MORE: Aya Hachem: Suhayl Suleman and Louis Otway on trial for murder
Otway said: “Feroz was saying something about next-door are p****s and that they are £5 cheaper.”
Otway said that after that, he called Raja to come to Blackburn to see if he was picking up some cannabis for them both as he did not want to drive with it himself.
Otway also said that Hussain owed him money at this time, but was not able to give it all to him, so he had to go back to Blackburn on a number of occasions to get the money.
He also says he traveled to Blackburn after buying a car from Hussain which he realized was accidentally damaged.
Otway said that calls made to Hussain would either have been about buying cannabis, repairs to the car or just general social conversations.
How did Otway know gunman Zamir Raja and driver Anthony Ennis?
Mr Gardner also asked Otway about a video of him, Anthony Ennis and Zamir Raja taken on May 12, 2020 at his home in Manchester.
Otway said he had also been friends with Manchester men Anthony Ennis and Zamir Raja for several years before the shooting of Aya Hachem on May 17, 2020.
In April and May, Otway said that Ennis was living with him at the time because of a relationship breakup.
He went on to say that Ennis and Raja were good friends and that was why Raja came over.
Lancashire Telegraph: Aya Hachem, who was shot by a bullet from a passing Toyota Avensis as she walked past Quick Shine on May 17, 2020
Aya Hachem, who was shot by a bullet from a passing Toyota Avensis as she walked past Quick Shine on May 17, 2020 (Image: Ismail Hachem)
Mr Gardner asked: “While you were in your house, were you engaged in plotting a murder?”
Otway said: “No nothing like that.”
He said that any calls to Raja would likely have been about weed or money he owed and any calls to Ennis would have been asking whether anybody had been over to the house to see him while he had been out.
The end of the cross-examination of Suleman
Also giving evidence today was Suhayl Suleman, of Shear Brow, Blackburn, who was being cross-examined in the witness box.
The cross-examination of Suleman finished today, with Imran Shafi KC, closing the defense case.
David McLachlan KC, prosecuting, asked Suleman about his movements on the night after Aya Hachem had been killed.
Suleman had previously said that he had been called by Hussain and picked him up to take food to Hussain’s brother-in-law before going back to their house.
Mr McLachlan asked him whether what he was saying was untrue and whether he was in fact “organizing meetings after the shooting”.
Mr McLachlan said: “Was it the case that you were actually involved in the arrangements for the meetings that took place?”
Suleman replied: “No I wasn’t.”
READ MORE: Aya Hachem murder trial: Brother says he ‘didn’t know he was surrounded by killers’
Mr McLachlan asked: “You were taking Ayaz Hussain to meet your brother.”
Suleman said: “He was my friend and he asked to come to my house. Whatever he does is none of my business.”
Talking about a previous fight between the brothers after a fire at RI Tires in 2019, McLachlan asked him what happened.
McLachlan asked: “What did your brother say to you?”
Suleman replied: “He was calling me a crackhead, a waste man, that I had no life
McLachlan said: “How did you respond?”
Suleman said: “I was shouting and swearing, yes I did punch him but that was between brothers.”
McLachlan asked: “That’s between brothers, suggest that when it is not between brothers you are going to react in the same way?”
Suleman replied: “No.”
McLachlan said: “When someone is threatening your business?”
Suleman said: “I had no financial gain from the business, I had nothing to do with it.”
McLachlan said: “When someone is threatening your dad’s legacy?”
Lancashire Telegraph: Forensics on the scene at Quick Shine on May 17, 2020, after the shooting
Forensics on the scene at Quick Shine on May 17, 2020, after the shooting (Image: PA)
Suleman: “I had nothing to do with the business, I had no financial gain.”
Suleman was then shown a text he sent after another fight between the two garages that read “Feroz, get these lot wasted now”.
McLachlan said: “They dared to sell tires.”
Suleman said: “I was never involved in the dispute.”
McLachlan read another message: “‘Get lads on them.'”
Suleman said: “I meant the police.”
McLachlan said: “You never say the police.”
Suleman said: “I sent the CCTV of the office with the police there and I meant the police to get them wasted.”
McLachlan said: “This is what happened isn’t it Mr Suleman, you know what is coming next.”
Suleman said: “No.”
Reading another message, McLachlan said: “I’m gonna get Jay’s boys to deal with this.”
Suleman said: “I don’t know Jay or his boys – my reference was about Jaffa’s café.”
McLachlan said: “We all know what happened on May 17.”
Suleman replied: “I was not involved.”
The trial continues.