Brothers Jailed For Christmas Eve Murder

Two brothers have been found guilty of the murder of a woman in an effort to cover-up a long running affair.

Sameena Imam (34) was murdered by Roger and David Cooper on Christmas Eve last year.

Birmingham Crown Court had heard that Roger Cooper had been having an elicit relationship with Ms Imam for two years. Cooper and Ms Imam both worked for Costco – Ms Imam as a regional manager and Cooper as a store manager.

The court heard that Cooper was concerned that Ms Imam was planning to reveal their relationship to the company, jeopardising his career and long-term relationship.

Cooper enlisted the help of his brother David to murder Ms Imam and dispose of her body.

It is understood that a plan was established to kidnap Ms Imam on 12 December 2014 from a hotel as she returned from a Christmas party. The brothers communicated their plan via text message, using coded messages in the form of Star Wars references.

For unknown reasons the 12 December plot failed and the brothers decided that Christmas would be their next opportunity.

The court heard that Cooper and Ms Imam were due to spend Christmas Eve and Day in the Malmaison hotel.

After leaving work together on 24 December, Roger Cooper drove Ms Imam to his brother's house, where it is believed she was killed almost immediately after arriving.

She was then buried in a deep grave on an allotment owned by David Cooper.

Police had initially interviewed the brothers in early January 2015 as key witnesses to Ms Imam's disappearance, but were subsequently charged with her murder.

Detective Superintendent Mark Payne, head of Homicide for West Midlands Police, said: "While we have seen justice done through the courts today, it will never change the fact that Sameena has lost her life in heart-breaking circumstances. My sympathy rests with the family and friends she left behind. 

"Sameena was a woman with her whole life ahead of her, she has been described by her friends as an immaculate lady, bubbly and beautiful, with a flourishing career. All this has been cruelly destroyed by the selfish and callous actions of Roger and David Cooper.

"The enquiry team have worked closely with Sameena’s family and several police forces, particularly Leicestershire, to bring these brothers to justice. Planned murders, in the detail seen in this case, are very uncommon and require extraordinary levels of investigation. The police, Crown Prosecution Service and Prosecution Counsel have all worked tirelessly on what has been one of the most complex cases the force has seen in recent years."

(MH/CD)