Tanveer Iqbal murder trial: 'Spurned lover lured ex to death with birthday cake promise'

Smethwick shopkeeper Tanveer Iqbal's body was subsequently found stuffed into a cardboard box in the boot of his own car, in February this year.

He had been strangled and the box secured with silver Gaffa tape and blue nylon ribbon, Birmingham Crown Court was told.

Mr Iqbal's body was discovered just two days after his 33rd birthday in his Renault Clio, which had been abandoned in Portland Road, Edgbaston.

His former mistress Zatoon Bibi, 37, her ex-husband Gul Nawaz, 44, and a teenager who cannot be named deny murdering Mr Iqbal.

Miss Sally Howes QC told a jury that the accused had conspired together to murder Mr Iqbal who worked at Hi-Tech Music in Shireland Road.

She said Mr Iqbal had 'an unconventional and complicated domestic arrangement' - he was married to Nasreen Bibi but also in a 'long-standing relationship' to Zatoon Bibi, which his wife was aware of.

However, the 'veneer began to crack,' Miss Howes QC said.

On January 31, the day after his birthday, Mr Iqbal planned to see Zatoon Bibi - with whom he had two children - before meeting up with friends.

The pair had recently rowed - for which Bibi had supposedly apologised to Mr Iqbal, the court heard.

Bibi had been 'trying to stir up trouble,' between Mr Iqbal and his wife, Miss Howes said.

Despite her apology there was ongoing animosity between the two, shown by Mr Iqbal referring to Bibi as 'a snake' and 'an evil bitch' in messages to his wife.

Miss Howes QC told the court Bibi 'lured' Mr Iqbal to her home in Bridgeburn Road, Bartley Green with the promise of birthday cake and the chance to see the pair's children.

But in actual fact Bibi and Nawaz were lying in wait to kill him, she said.

The jury was told CCTV captured Nawaz, of Roway Lane, Oldbury in the Poundland store in the town's retail park 'purchasing items including blue heavy duty rope, two pairs of non-slip gloves and a 10-metre roll of reinforced silver Gaffa tape' at 12.12pm on January 31, the day Mr Iqbal was murdered.

Miss Howes QC said a Vauxhall Zafira Belonging to Nawaz was seen parking up outside Bibi's Bartley Green home at 5.32pm, an hour before 'a small dark car' - which the Crown say was Mr Iqbal's Clio - arrived at the same address.

"The Crown say that figure is Zatoon Bibi."

The jury was told that CCTV shows the car's boot opened at 8.15pm and there was an unsuccessful attempt to shut the tailgate, which 'pinged back up as if there was something in that is rather large'.

The boot was closed at the second attempt.

Miss Howes said: "This activity is the placing of Tanveer's body in the boot of that Renault Clio and the shutting of that boot."

Another teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has denied one charge of perverting the course of justice.

The trial continues.