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Wednesday 23 February 2011

Iraqi immigrant convicted of Arizona 'honour killing'

Faleh Hassan Almaleki in court (22 February 2011) Almaleki's defence lawyers told the court that he had never intended to kill Noor

An Iraqi immigrant to the US has been convicted in Arizona of the second degree murder of his daughter, in what prosecutors said was an honour killing.

Faleh Hassan Almaleki, 50, ran over 20-year-old Noor and Amal Khalaf, the mother of her boyfriend, in a car park in a suburb of Phoenix in October 2009.

He was also found guilty of the aggravated assault of Mrs Khalaf and leaving the scene of a crime.

Prosecutors said Almaleki had claimed his daughter had shamed his family.

Relatives said Noor had married a man in Iraq but had returned to Arizona to live with Mrs Khalaf's son.

Mrs Khalaf testified that Almaleki made no effort to stop before running over her and Noor.

His defence lawyers told the court that he had never intended to kill Noor, and that her death was an accident. He had been trying to spit on Mrs Khalaf but swerved and ending up hitting both women, they said.

Almaleki fled the US after the attack, driving to Mexico before flying to the UK. But he was detained there and later extradited to stand trial.

He faces between 17 and 44 years in prison.

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