01/07/2005

Three found guilty of family's murder

Following one of the longest murder trials in the UK, two men have been found guilty of the murder of a millionaire businessman, his wife, his mother-in-law and two infant sons.

The body of Amarjit Chohan, 46, was washed up near Bournemouth Pier in spring 2003. The body of his 25-year-old wife Nancy was found in July 2003 near the same spot. Four months later, the body of Mr Chohan's 51-year-old mother-in-law Mrs Charanjit Kaur was discovered at a bay on the Isle of Wight.

The bodies of the Chohan's two children, three-month-old Ravinder and 18-month-old Devinder have not been found.

Kenneth Regan, 55, from Wiltshire and William Horncy, 52, from Dorset were convicted for the murders. A third man Peter Rees, 39, from Portsmouth, Hants was convicted for his part in the murder of Mr Chohan.

The family had disappeared without trace in February 2003. Two months later, a body washed up on the south coast of England, with a note hidden in a sock, proved to be the first discovery in what emerged to be the murder of the entire family. The note, which was still legible despite the time spent in the water, revealed that Mr Chohan had feared he was to be killed by Regan.

During the trial, the court heard that Mr Chohan had been held against his will and forced to sign over his freight business.

Regan, a convicted drug dealer, had planned to use the freight company as a front for the importation of drugs.

Sentencing in the case has been deferred until Tuesday.

(SP/GB)

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