Mohammed Azim, 41, has been convicted of murdering 19-year-old Lily Whitehouse after deliberately running her down with his recovery truck in Oldbury, West Midlands. The jury reached the verdict on Friday, June 19, following a trial at Birmingham Crown Court.
Chance Meeting Led to Unbalanced Relationship
Azim first met Lily when she was just 16 and he was 39, beginning what police described as an unbalanced relationship with a significant power gap. Their three-year on-and-off relationship ended tragically on Azim's 41st birthday in November last year.
Detective Inspector Nigel Box of West Midlands Police said: "It's just a really, really sad and tragic case and our thoughts are with Lily's family always. It is domestic abuse and we always take the opportunity to remind people that if they are suffering, help is available."
Fatal Encounter in Oldbury
On the day of the murder, Lily had been visiting her baby in hospital before meeting Azim. He picked her up in his recovery truck and drove to Old Park Lane in Oldbury. After an argument, Lily got out of the vehicle, but Azim nudged her with the truck before deliberately driving into her, pinning her against a lamppost.
The young mother died instantly or shortly after impact. Azim then moved her body to Park Street in an attempt to cover his tracks and called 999, claiming another driver had hit Lily and fled the scene.
CCTV Evidence Exposed Lies
However, CCTV evidence exposed Azim's lies, showing his truck pushing Lily along the road before the fatal collision. Despite his claims that it was an accident, the jury convicted him of murder.
In a tribute, Lily's family said: "At just 19 years old, Lily's life was taken far too soon, leaving behind dreams unfulfilled and our family forever changed."
