Iraqi Kurdish honor-killing victim was raped before she was tortured and died an agonising death

This is London:

Honour-killing victim Banaz Mahmod was raped before she was tortured and died an agonising death, it has emerged.

Full details about her horrific murder emerged during a pre-sentence hearing.

The 20-year-old Iraqi Kurd disappeared in January last year, and her body was found buried in a suitcase in a garden in Birmingham three months later.

Prosecutor Victor Temple, QC, told the Old Bailey that her ordeal lasted two hours and she was subjected to rape and other degrading sexual acts.

Banaz was garrotted for five minutes but took half an hour for her to die as her killers stamped on her neck to "let her soul out".

Last month her father Mahmod Mahmod, 52, and his brother Ari Mahmod, 52, were found guilty of murder.

They ordered her execution because they believed she had shamed the family by falling in love with the wrong man.

They will be sentenced to life tomorrow with Mohamad Hama, 30, of West Norwood, south London, who pleaded guilty. Others who took part in the killing are on the run.

Judge Brian Barker, the Common Serjeant of London, sat today to assess the extent of Hama's involvement.

Mr Temple told him that according to Hama, Banaz was killed at her family home in Mitcham, south London.

Hama had been secretly taped laughing as he spoke of the murder to an unnamed visitor who visited him in Belmarsh prison after his arrest.

Mr Temple quoted Hama as saying: "I swear to God it took more than two hours.

"Her soul would not leave her body - it took over half an hour.

"I swear to God, my foot was on her back. I was kicking or stamping on her neck to get her soul out.

"She was stark naked, only wearing pants and underwear."

Hama went on: "The wire was thick. The soul would not just leave like that. The cord was around her neck, I could not remove it."

'Honour killing' victim was raped

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