Jury hears wiretap of accused in canal deaths

Members of the public in the courtroom for the Shafia murder trial shook their heads in disgust as the jury began to hear wiretap evidence of the three accused discussing the deaths of four family members.

Mohammad Shafia, 58, his wife, Tooba Mohammad Yahya, 41, and their son, Hamed Mohammad Shafia, 20, are each charged with four counts of first-degree murder.

The recording, froma police bug in the Shafia family van, captured the trio dismissing police claims that videotape might exist of one of the family's cars going into the Rideau Canal.

That carcontaining the bodies of Shafia sisters Zainab,19,Sahar, 17, and Geeti, 13, as well as Rona Amir Mohammad, 50was discovered submerged in the canal in June 2009.

On Thursday afternoon, the court heard the three accused talking about the investigation, unaware that police were recording their conversation.

According to the prosecution's opening address, police had asked the family to come back to Kingston to show them how they believed the car accidentally went into the locks and claim some of belongings that were seized.

Police really intended to plant a bug in their vehicle and record the three accused as they drove back to Montreal.

Police claimed video existed

Investigators went back to the scene with the family that day, 20 days after the bodies had been found. One of the investigators told Hamed that police had recently learned there was a camera recording the site and they'd soon be analyzing the video.

According to the prosecutor, there was no such camera. But police led the family to believe there might be one for the purpose of recording their conversation.

On the way back to Montreal, on arecording played for the jury Thursday, the three accused discuss the possibility there might be avideo. They quickly dismiss any notion of its existence.

"No, had there been one there, they would have checked it first thing and they would have held you to account that night," Shafia is heard saying.

Yahya says it was pitch black outside and there was no glimmer of light. She says the police are lying and Shafia agrees.

The wiretap evidence came after another family member took the stand for the prosecution.

Yahya's uncle, Latif Hyderi, told the court that one of the sisters married simply to get revenge for cruelty suffered at the hands of her father.

Zainab had told Hyderi that she wassacrificing herself for her sisters' freedom.

Marriage annulled

Hyderi's identity was protected under a publication ban until his testimony concluded Thursday afternoon.

Hyderi testified that hetried to convince Zainab to marry his son, but she refused. She said she wanted to marryher boyfriend to getout ofher father'shouse.

Themarriage went ahead, but left the family in turmoil. It was annulled after only one day.

When Hyderi toldShafia about the conversation with his daughter, he said it was a good thing he wasn't there, or he would have killed her.

Hyderi told the jury that Shafia called him and saidhis daughter was "a very dirty whore," andwonderedwhy she wasdishonouring her father.

He also said in 20 years, he'd never heard Shafia call Zainab by her name. He referred to her as a "black snake."

After he finished testifying, Hyderi spoke to reporters outside the courthouse and said this has been a terrible weight on his shoulders and he's relieved it's now been lifted.