FIVE men and one woman have been jointly charged with the murder of Anum and Majid Khan who died in a fire at their home in Oxford.

The six, who are also charged with conspiracy to murder and conspiracy to commit arson, were all refused bail by city magistrates yesterday and were remanded in custody until a committal hearing on March 9.

Three policemen separated the victims' and defendants' families in the public gallery and other officers guarded the doors.

They were all warned that if there was any trouble they would be asked to leave or be sent down to the cells. There were still some outbursts from the families who were escorted out separately after the hearing.

Sarah Page, prosecuting, told the court that the joint murder charge was laid on February 3.

Haroon Sharif, 20, and his girlfriend Riaz Munshi, 26, of Streatham Hill, south London; brothers Haq Nawaz, 30, and Mohammed Nawaz, 27, of Letchworth, Hertfordshire; Thomas Leidl, 18, and Alan Swanton, 18, both also of Letchworth, now face all three charges. They will appear before magistrates again with four other defendants.

They are mum-of-six Parveen Sharif, 39, of Morrell Avenue, Oxford, Sima Sharif and two teenage girls who have been charged with attempting to pervert the course of justice by giving false statements in connection with the case.

Anum, nine, and Majid, 15, died after fire swept through their family home in Magdalen Road, east Oxford, last August 26 last year.

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