Saima Khan: Younger sister of Luton mother-of-four appears in court charged with her murder

A woman has appeared in court charged with the murder of her older sister, who was found dead at her Luton home last week. The body of Saima Khan, a mother-of-four, was discovered at her semi-detached house in Overtsone Road on the night of 23 May.

A 26-year-old woman, Sabah Khan, was arrested at 9am on Tuesday (31 May) on suspicion of murder and later charged. She was named as the victim's younger sister and is registered as living in Overstone Road.

She appeared at Luton magistrates' court on Thursday (2 June) and spoke only to confirm her name. She will next appear at Luton crown court on 6 June.

The night of Saima Khan's death saw police and paramedics called at about 11.30pm to her semi-detached property to reports of a woman found "unconscious and not breathing".

The 34-year-old's husband and other family members were said to have been at a funeral at Luton Central Mosque at the time of the killing. Detectives had said they were keeping "an open mind" about the motive for the killing.

Last week, Khan's husband, taxi driver Hafeez Rehman, paid tribute to his wife. He said his family's hearts had been "torn apart" by her death, adding: "She was a loving mother to four beautiful children, a devoted wife, a beloved daughter and the most caring of sisters.

"She has been taken from us at the age of 34 and my children have been deprived of their mother. This was a junction in our lives where we intended to watch our children grow, to love them and spend quality time as a family and make memories.

"We have been left with a gap in our lives and we can only pray that she is resting in peace. As everyone can appreciate and understand, the circumstances have torn our hearts apart. My family and I would like to thank you all for the condolence messages and support that we have received from family, friends and the local community."