COVENTRY MESSAGE BOARD

Police investigating the death of a missing Coventry mum found dead in a canal need help to piece together her final days.



27-year old Emma Ewart from Courthouse Green called her mum from IKEA in Coventry on May 24th and was discovered in the water around Bedworth 9 days later.

She has left behind an 8-year old daughter.

A post-mortem last week proved inconclusive and more tests have been ordered to find out whether Emma died before or after she entered the water.

DCI James Essex, the officer leading the investigation, said: “Emma was a young mother who leaves behind an eight-year-old daughter and we need to be able to provide answers to her family as to how Emma died.

“Her death is still being treated as unexplained at this time and I would urge anyone who may have seen Emma or spoken to her between Tuesday, May 24 and Thursday, June 2, to contact us as soon as possible.

“You may have chatted to Emma in Coventry or seen a woman near to the canal. Any tiny piece of information you may have may prove to be a vital clue at this crucial time.”

He added: “This is an extremely difficult time for the family and we are working around the clock to try to find out just what has happened to Emma.”

Anyone with any information is urged to contact the investigation team by calling Warwickshire Police on 01926 415000. Information can also be passed on to DCI Essex anonymously by calling Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

In a statement, Emma’s family said: ”Emma was a bubbly friendly young woman, a fantastic mum, sister, daughter, niece and friend and will be greatly missed by all.

“She will be remembered as a beautiful bright happy girl that brought joy and happiness to others and was a pleasure to be around.

“We ask at this very difficult time for family and friends to be given time to grieve for our great loss.”

A 42-year-old man is due to appear in court on Monday charged with murdering a woman whose body was found in a canal.

Mazhar Rashid, of Stoney Stanton Road, Coventry, will appear before magistrates in the city accused of killing Emma Ewart, West Midlands Police said.

The body of the 27-year-old mother, who lived in the Courthouse Green area of Coventry, was recovered from the Coventry Canal between Bulkington and Bedworth, north Warwickshire, on June 2 after a member of the public alerted the police.

Rashid, who will be kept in police custody until his appearance in court, was detained at an address in the Hillfields area of Coventry on Thursday.

Taxi driver accused of murdering Coventry woman says he found her dead

A TAXI driver accused of murdering a Coventry woman has denied killing her – claiming she was already dead when he woke up.

Mazhar Rashid, 43, said he felt “like his life had ended” when he realised that 27-year-old Emma Ewart had died in May last year.

But he denied having anything to do with her death – despite eventually dumping her body in a Bedworth canal, weighing it down with two breeze blocks.

Jurors heard that Rashid had previously admitted a charge of perverting the course of justice for trying to hide her body, dumping her purse and destroying the SIM cards for their mobile phones.

He gave evidence for the first time yesterday, describing how he met Emma and how she came to be in her flat on the morning she died.

They had first met in early May when Rashid, of Stoney Stanton Road, had driven Emma back from Coventry city centre to a hostel in Courthouse Green.

She had not paid the £5 fare – instead giving the Pakistani national her phone number and promising she would pay him the next day.

They exchanged phone calls for taxi services but didn’t meet in person again until later in May, when he picked Miss Ewart and a friend up after being sent by his employer Allen’s Taxis.

She called him again at 2.20am the day she died, asking him to pick her up and take her to a garage.

There he bought her alcohol and a bottle of coke, and, in evidence Rashid said that she told him to go back in to the shop and buy condoms.

The married father-of-one told the court: “She was flirting with me and wanted friendship. She wanted to stay with me and come back to my flat.

“I had no intention of having sex with her.

“I had no idea at that time why she wanted condoms.

“She was doing this action and saying she loved me.”

When they got back to Rashid’s flat he said that she had finished three drinks before he had taken her clothes off.

She then got into bed with him and they had sex.

When he woke up five hours later Rashid realised there was something wrong.

Speaking through an interpreter he added: “It was as if she was asleep. I put my trousers on and tried to wake her up but she didn’t wake.

“I removed a blanket from her and she was cold. Then I touched her mouth and these bubbles came out.

“I felt like my life had ended. Like I was in a vacuum.”

Rashid denies murder.

The case continues.

Coventry taxi driver found guilty of murdering vulnerable Emma Ewart


Emma Ewart (inset) and the canal where her body was found

A Coventry taxi driver has been found guilty of murdering a vulnerable Coventry woman and dumping her body in a canal.

Mazhar Rashid, 43, of Stoney Stanton Road, will serve a minimum of 17 years in prison for killing Emma Ewart, 27, last May.

Judge Sir Michael Astill said Rashid had "taken advantage of a vulnerable young woman".

Losing her will haunt us forever - Emma Ewart's family

Emma Ewart’s family said justice had been done, but they would never get over her death.

In a statement released after Mazhar Rashid, 43, of Stoney Stanton Road in Coventry was sentenced to 17 years in prison on Monday for her murder, they said: "It has been a long and difficult year for our family, following Emma’s tragic death. Not only have we had to come to terms with losing Emma, but we also had to deal with the despicable way in which Emma’s body was disposed of by Mr Rashid.

"It is an image which will haunt us for the rest of our lives.

"The last eight days have been about finding justice for Emma and that has been done today. Our family have been in limbo for a year not fully knowing what happened to Emma.

"A lot of what we have heard in court has been very upsetting but has given us some answers to the events which led to Emma’s death. It is very hard to understand how anyone could take advantage of such a beautiful, vulnerable and loving girl like Emma and treat her in such a callous way.

"Emma was a beautiful person, who regardless of her problems was always kind and caring. She was a loving daughter, mother, sister, granddaughter and niece and had many close friends.

"Many people have been deeply affected by Mr Rashid’s actions and a bright light went out the day Emma’s life was taken. We shall never forget Emma and she will continue to live on in our hearts and our fond memories. May you rest in people ‘little Em’.

"Whilst this trial has brought a form of closure to our family it has, at the same time, reawakened very painful and vivid memories of Emma’s death and the callous disposal of her body."

Emma's killer loses Court of Appeal bid to clear his name

A taxi driver has lost an appeal against his conviction for murdering a Coventry woman whose body was found dumped in a canal.

Mazhar Rashid, 44, claimed he was wrongly serving a life sentence for the murder of 27-year-old Emma Ewart.

But yesterday he lost a Court of Appeal bid to clear his name. Rashid was convicted of her murder after a trial at Birmingham Crown Court last July, having earlier admitted perverting the course of justice.

Still denying the killing, yesterday he took his case to London, where senior judges, Lord Justice Aikens, Mr Justice Mackay and Mr Justice Sweeney, threw out his “unarguable” appeal bid.

Mounting his appeal, his legal team argued that the crown court judge was wrong to reject a submission that the trial be stopped at the end of the prosecution evidence.

Without a cause of death, there was no way a reasonable jury could be properly sure that Rashid was guilty of killing her, his lawyers claimed.

But, rejecting his complaints, Lord Justice Aikens said there was other evidence which pointed towards Rashid’s guilt – not least his actions afterwards in getting rid of Miss Ewart’s body, clothing and phone SIM card.

He said the judge was entitled to allow the case to be considered by the jury.

“There was, in our judgment, ample evidence to go to the jury in this case,” he said.

“The renewed application is, therefore, dismissed.”

Rashid will serve at least 17 years before he will be allowed to apply to the Parole Board for release.