'Disrespecting Islam' murderer loses appeal against sentence

A man who was jailed for life for murdering a shopkeeper who he claimed had "disrespected" Islam has failed to have his minimum 27-year jail-term cut.

Sunni Muslim, Tanveer Ahmed, 32, from Bradford in Yorkshire, stabbed 40-year-old Asad Shah outside his store in Glasgow's Shawlands area on 24 March.

He said Mr Shah, a member of the Ahmadi sect, not recognised by all Muslims, had falsely claimed to be a prophet.

Appeal judges have now ruled Ahmed's jail-term was legally sound.

Why was Asad Shah murdered?

In July, Ahmed pleaded guilty to the religiously-motivated murder at a hearing at the High Court in Glasgow.

The following month he was given a mandatory life term and told he must serve a minimum of 27 years before he can apply for parole.

Ahmed's advocate Gordon Jackson QC argued that trial judge Lady Rae acted wrongly when she imposed the sentence.

Mr Jackson said that the exact circumstances of the murder meant that his client should have received a lesser sentence.

The lawyer pointed to two other cases which Lady Rae presided over - the prosecutions of Alexander Pacteau, the man who killed Irish nursing student Karen Buckley and John Leathem, the shopkeeper who killed teenager Paige Doherty.

Mr Jackson argued that Ahmed waited for the police to come to arrest him by sitting at a bus stop close to the murder scene.

He also said that his client admitted his guilt.

The advocate said that both Pacteau and Leathem had tried to escape detection for their crimes.

Mr Jackson compared the minimum sentences given to the two men - Pacteau was given 23 years and Leathem was given 27 years.

He said that his client should receive a lesser sentence.

However, Scotland's most senior judge, Lord Carloway, rejected Mr Jackson's arguments.

He ruled that the religious feeling which motivated Ahmed to kill Mr Shah meant that Lady Rae was entitled to impose the sentence.

Lord Carloway said: "The court is not satisfied that the starting point in this case was too much.

"The court is not of the opinion that the sentence imposed in this case was excessive and in way amounted to a miscarriage of justice.

"The appeal against sentence is therefore refused."