Two murderers serving life in a maximum security prison have been found guilty of strangling a child killer to death – with his own TRACKSUIT BOTTOMS.
Subhan Anwar, 24, had been serving a life sentence for the horrific murder of his partner’s two-year-old daughter in 2009.
But on Valentine’s Day this year he was taken hostage by fellow inmates Gary Smith, 48, and Lee Newell, 44, in his own cell at HMP Long Lartin near Evesham, Worcs.
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The pair – who were also serving life for murder – wrapped the jogging bottoms around Anwar’s neck and viciously choked him until he stopped breathing.
They then toasted the the death with cups of HOT CHOCOLATE before giving themselves up to prison authorities.
Both men used a ‘cut-throat’ defence and blamed the other for inflicting Anwar’s fatal injuries at the tough high-security prison.
But on Thursday a jury at Warwick Crown Court found them guilty of murder after a seven-day trial heard the pair had planned the killing together.
The court heard the defendants had locked themselves in Anwar’s cell when they called prison security and said they had taken him hostage.
When asked why they said they were “bored” and wanted “something to do” before telling security staff they thought Anwar was dead.
Prosecutors told the court prison officers rushed to the cell door where they saw the men sitting next to Anwar who was lying face-down on his bed.
When they entered they discovered his legs had been bound with two metres of sellotape and he had been strangled with the tracksuit bottoms.
They had been tied so tightly around his neck that paramedics had to cut them off.
Newell and Anwar were serving life for murder and were housed in Delta Wing – reserved for vulnerable prisoners at the Category A jail.
Following the case, detectives said they believed the pair were in it together and slammed them for refusing to reveal their motives.
Temporary DCI Jon Marsden, of West Mercia Police, said: “We still do not know exactly what happened that day in Subhan Anwar’s cell and Smith and Newell have not given a reason as to why they visited him that day.
“I believe they have been utterly cowardly for not giving an explanation for their actions.
“Both were well known to their victim and there was no sign of a forced entry or a struggle in the cell.
“Newell and Smith have blamed each other for the killing and have refused to take any personal responsibility for his death.
“However, I believe this was a joint enterprise from the outset and, for whatever reason, they went to Subhan Anwar’s cell with the intention of killing him.”
Prosecutor Peter Grieves-Smith said the incident had unfolded between 6pm and 8.20pm.
He said: “At around 6.40pm a call was made from the intercom button in the cell.
“The caller didn’t identify himself but what he did say was they had taken a hostage and it was quite clear the caller was referring to Mr Anwar.
“When the caller was asked ‘why have you done that?’ he replied he was bored and it was something to do.
“But he then said ‘I’m not joking, I think he’s dead.’”
Mr Grieves-Smith said officers surrounded the cell and began to speak to the occupants.
He said: “The opinion of the prison officers was that both men appeared calm.
“At about 7.40pm a prison officer was able to see through an eyehole.
“When he looked in he saw Mr Anwar was lying face down on the bed and he wasn’t moving.
“Mr Smith was sitting smoking a cigarette while Mr Newell said of Mr Anwar ‘He’s gone. He’s with Allah now’.
“Mr Newell said he and Mr Smith wanted to leave the cell.
“As Mr Newell and Mr Smith waited to be taken they made themselves a drink of hot chocolate and continued to talk as they waited to be removed from the cell and Mr Anwar laid face down on the bed.”
Anwar, from Huddersfield, was serving a 23-year sentence for the brutal murder of his partner’s daughter, toddler Sanam Navsarka.
Little Sanam suffered a staggering 107 injuries over a month-long period of ‘unbelievable’ torture.
Bradford Crown Court heard evil Anwar battered the tot with metal poles and even put her in the tumble dryer for his own amusement.
Mother Zahbeena Navsarkam was cleared of murder but found guilty of manslaughter and sentenced to nine years following a trial at Bradford Crown Court in 2009.
Anwar’s family – who maintain his innocence – issued a statement welcoming the verdict.
They said: “No family of any person in or out of prison should go through the pain, torment and loss of a person like we are.
“We believed Subhan was innocent of the crime he was imprisoned for and despite his murder, we will continue our attempts for the case to be appealed.
“Thursday 14 February 2013 changed our lives forever because two animals brutally murdered Subhan; he trusted Newell and Smith and called them friends.”
Smith and Newell will be sentenced next week.
