A trio of "exceptionally callous and deceitful" killers have been jailed for life after murdering five people in a "bomb-like" shop blast.

Aram Kurd, Hawkwar Hassan and Arkan Ali destroyed a Polish supermarket in Hinckley Road in Leicester after plotting a £300,000 insurance scam.

The three men planned to douse the basement of the building in "many, many litres of petrol" in an arson attack on Kurd's supermarket in Leicester - destroying the shop and the flat above.

Asian Image:

Hawkar Hassan, Arkan Ali and Aram Kurd

Shop worker Viktorija Ijevleva, 22, was left to die in the explosion because she "knew too much" about the insurance policy taken out less than three weeks earlier.

Ms Ijevleva, Mary Ragoobeer, 46, her teenage sons Shane and Sean, and 18-year-old Leah Beth Reek, who was Shane's girlfriend, were all killed in the blast on Sunday February 25 last year.

Ali, 38, Hassan, 33, and Kurd, 34, were unanimously convicted of five counts of murder and a further charge of conspiring with Ms Ijevleva to make a gain, by dishonestly pursuing an insurance claim in respect of the fire.

Ali, of Drake Close, Oldham, and Kurd, of Hillary Place, Leicester, were both jailed for a minimum of 38 years, and Hassan, of Eld Road, Coventry, was handed a 33-year sentence.

Asian Image:

Sean Rajoobeer, 17 (left) and Shane Rajoobeer, 18, and their mother Mary, three of the five victims of the Hinckley Road explosion in Leicester.

Passing sentence at Leicester Crown Court on Friday, Mr Justice Holgate said: "None of the defendants has shown the slightest bit of remorse for their wicked crimes. They were exceptionally callous and deceitful.

"I agree with the prosecution that it is plain beyond doubt that Kurd and Ali were both centrally involved in the planning of these crimes.

"It is plain from the way they both behaved in court and outside that they are highly manipulative and cunning individuals."

The judge added: "The arson attack on this terraced building was exceptionally dangerous and put the lives of neighbours and other members of the public at a high level of risk. The defendants caused an exceptionally high level of harm."

The three defendants were flanked by eight dock officers throughout the hearing.

Shopkeeper Kurd wept in the dock throughout as victim impact statements were read out and his mitigation was put forward.

The families of the victims were also emotional as the killers were jailed.

I FEEL I FAILED, SAYS MOTHER OF INSURANCE FRAUDSTER KILLED IN BLAST

The mother of a victim of the Leicester shop blast who was originally part of the insurance scam has apologised on behalf of her daughter.

Natalija Ijevleva said she felt she "failed as a mother" to 22-year-old Viktorija Ijevleva and that she "could have stopped" her from going ahead with the fraud.

Her victim impact statement, read by prosecutor David Herbert QC, said: "I am heartbroken that she didn't tell me because she told me everything.

"I could have stopped her from going ahead and prevented this tragedy. I feel I failed as a mother to protect my child.

"My thoughts again go out to the families of the four wholly innocent victims, their loss must be indescribable.

"I can only apologise on behalf of Vika, my child, who I also will never have back."

The husband and father of Mary, Shane and Sean Ragoobeer said all his "hopes and dreams for the future have been taken away".

His statement, also read out by Mr Herbert, said: "The events of that day have changed our lives forever. All of our hopes and dreams for the future have been completely shattered.

"I have lost a loving wife and two sons whom I adored. My son Scotty, who has only recently turned 16 years of age, has lost his mother and his two brothers.

"We were both extremely close to all of them. Scotty was also close to Leah (Reek) and misses her too. They were our life."

The statement continued: "All our hopes and dreams for the future have been taken away from us by what happened on 25th February 2018.

"Mary, Shane, Sean and Leah will be greatly missed and our lives will never be the same without them. They were all good people and did not deserve for this to happen to them.

"They will never be forgotten and will always be remembered for the rest of our lives by both myself and Scotty, along with all of our family and friends."

Leah Reek's mother, Joanne Reek, decided to read her statement from the witness box in court.

She said: "We know that nothing will ever bring Leah back. We've lost our daughter, sister, granddaughter, niece and friend, and no conviction or prison sentence will ever match ours and the pain that we will endure forever.

"Seeing the men on trial, showing no remorse for our and the Ragoobeers' loss, truly broke our hearts and disgusted us, showing that they have no value of human life.

"Leah would have made a difference in this world. She was a positive, kind, beautiful human being who was cruelly taken for no reason other than greed.

"I would finally like to say, Leah, we will always love you and the world was definitely a brighter, happier, bubblier place with you in it. We love you forever, until we meet again."

By Josh Payne