A faith healer who promised to rid customers of evil spirits by sacrificing camels was bound and stabbed to death, a court has heard, reports the BBC. Alfusaine Jabbi, 22, was found dead in Leagrave Park, Luton, in April 2006.
The court heard he was allegedly killed after he went to the home of customer Rubina Maroof, who is on the run.
Her brother Tariq Malik, 28, and half brother Khalid Malik, 29, of Selbourne Road, and Imran Khan, 27, of Rondini Avenue, all from Luton, deny murder.
Mrs Maroof, her husband and a six-year-old son fled to Pakistan the day after Mr Jabbi is said to have been murdered. The court was told they are still on the run.
Frances Oldham QC, prosecuting, told the court how Mr Jabbi, who was originally from Gambia, West Africa, had set up business as a faith healer in parts of the UK where there were large Muslim communities.
'Break spells'
Mrs Oldham said: "He was brought up in Gambia and when he came to the UK he would send money home regularly to his family by money transfer using Western Union.
"He began advertising his services with a business card that claimed he could break magical spells and ward off evil spirits and that he could help people who had problems of whatever nature."
Customers had paid various amounts for his services, Mrs Oldham said.
One man is said to have paid £7,000 for a two-week long prayer and a woman paid £800 for the sacrificing of a camel on her behalf in the Gambia.
In January 2006, Mrs Maroof was introduced to Mr Jabbi through a friend and reportedly paid him a large sum of money.
When she asked for it to be returned in April that year, she discovered Mr Jabbi had left Luton for Bradford, the court heard.
Rubin Shah was then alleged to have been asked by Mrs Maroof to arrange a meeting with Mr Jabbi, who was invited to Mrs Maroof's home in Pembroke Avenue, Luton.
The court heard the last time Mr Jabbi was seen alive was when he left the taxi to go to the house on 28 April.
His body was found the following day.
Mrs Oldham said: "Mr Jabbi has been bound and stabbed to death. Ligature marks on his wrists indicated that he had been bound for some time."
The trial continues