Telford triple murderer fails in bid to win sentence cut
A triple killer from Telford who burned his girlfriend and two of her relatives to death in their own home has failed to win a cut in his sentence - despite insisting he has made "exceptional progress" behind bars.
Azhar Ali Mehmood, now 40, was jailed for life at Stafford Crown Court in October 2001 after he was convicted of murdering his girlfriend Lucy Lowe, 16, her sister, Sarah, 17, and her mother, Eileen, 49.
All three victims died in the blaze in Halifax Drive, Leegomery, in August 2000 after Mehmood, formerly of Manor Road, Hadley, Telford, used petrol to spark an inferno.
He was also convicted of the attempted murder of his girlfriend's father, George Lowe, who escaped the fire by climbing out of a bedroom window.
Mehmood's baby daughter was rescued from the flames.
His lawyers at the time said he had been stung by incidents in which he was allegedly left "humiliated" by Lucy, who he had met at the age of 13.
Mehmood was ordered to serve at least 18 years behind bars for his crimes but his legal team argued today that he deserved a cut in his minimum term.
The judge's ruling at London's Royal Courts of Justice means that Mehmood will not even be considered for release on parole until October 2019.
See more in Saturday's Shropshire Star
