THE jury in the Denholme murder case has been warned to expect “disturbing and unpleasant” evidence in the course of the six-week trial.

The panel was yesterday sworn in at Bradford Crown Court to try the five men who deny murdering Mohammed Feazan Ayaz, and a man and a youth who plead not guilty to assisting an offender.

Mr Ayaz, 20, of Duckworth Grove, Manningham, Bradford, was found dead on Saffron Drive in Allerton, Bradford, in the early hours of July 1 last year.

On trial denying his murder are Suleman Khan, 20, of Sandford Road, Bradford Moor, Bradford; Robert Wainwright, 26, of Mannville Terrace, Bradford city centre; Junaid Hussain, 28, of Silverhill Road, Bradford Moor; Raheel Khan, 27, of no fixed address; and Stephen Queeney, 34, of Junction Row, Bolton Road, Bradford.

The two defendants who deny assisting an offender are Shaoib Shafiq, 20, of Gladstone Street, Bradford Moor, and a 17-year-old Bradford youth who cannot be named because of his age.

The two are accused of participating in the movement of Mr Ayaz’s body from the Denholme Business Centre in Halifax Road, Denholme, to Saffron Drive with intent to impede the apprehension or prosecution of others who had committed the offence of murder.

As well as swearing in 12 jurors, all women balloted at random from a shortlist of 19, two alternate or reserve jurors were selected.

They will listen to Richard Wright QC opening the case for the prosecution tomorrow afternoon and be on standby if any of the jurors have to stand down in the early stages of the trial.

The judge, Mr Justice Goss, told the jurors the case was set to last until the beginning of March.

He said they were the judges of the facts in the case and nothing relevant would be kept from them.

“It is your responsibility and yours alone to return verdicts,” he said.

Mr Justice Goss said the court hours would be 10.30am until around 4.15pm, with an hour’s break for lunch.

The jury would be going on a site visit one morning and there would be some days when the court would not be sitting.

Mr Justice Goss instructed the jurors to listen carefully to the evidence and not to talk to anyone about the case or do any research on the internet. He told them not to be influenced by any media reports.

They must not be alarmed by the serious nature of the charges because Mr Wright would be opening the case for the Crown.

“You are going to have to see evidence in this case that is, on the face of it, disturbing and unpleasant,” the judge said.

Mr Wright would begin opening the case today at 2.15pm and his address would continue into Thursday.

The trial continues.