'When she needed us most, we could not help her' - family of murdered Tarnjeet Riaz

The brother of a woman who was violently murdered by her boyfriend has said his family will be haunted forever by what happened to his sister. Today (Friday) killer Raj Sidpara, 50, was found guilty of murdering Tarnjeet Riaz at his home in Thurnby Lodge, Leicester, in May this year.

Ms Riaz's brother, Balraj Chagger, said after the verdict that his sister was "the soul of our family, bringing warmth and light into every moment". He also said he had no idea things were so bad between the couple, and added that he had been the one to identify his sister's badly disfigured body.

Mr Chagger said: “Tarnjeet, or Taz as we knew and loved her, was always there for us, and yet when she needed us most, we could not help her. We had no idea how bad things were, and this feeling will haunt us forever.

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“Raj took advantage of a woman half his strength, and his cowardice and violence cost Taz her life and has shattered our lives forever. No one has the right to take another person’s life. A life is precious, singular and irreplaceable.

“Never did we expect to have to say goodbye to Taz, especially in the way we did. It was me who had to identify her, and the moment I saw my beautiful sister laying there is something I will never forget - she was unrecognisable.

“Since that horrendous day, we have had zero control of our lives. We have been left with no real answers about what happened and why. Raj has never fully owned up to what he has done, and has put us through the pain of having to listen to the evidence in court. There was no emotion and no remorse from Raj for his actions.

"To think my sister was in a relationship with this monstrous man and to think how he had treated her – all Taz ever wanted was to be loved.

“My mother suffers terribly, and I can’t describe the pain in seeing her so vulnerable and heartbroken. She wakes up every day missing Taz. The depression and anxiety she feels is beyond words.

“My sister is struggling to come to terms with the fact Taz is no longer here. She shared so many life experiences with her and as Taz was her older sister, she often looked to her for guidance.

“Her death has not only taken her life but cast a shadow over everyone who loved her. It has created a legacy of pain, helplessness, and betrayal that will never fade. It has scarred each of us and has left us in an unknown place where we battle to do simple things in life.

“When she died, a part of us died too. She was the soul of our family, bringing warmth and light into every moment. Now, her absence has left only darkness.

“We will mourn Taz at every milestone, feeling the ache of her absence at every celebration. Her death has forever changed us.

“Taz dreamed of the future, of becoming an aunt and seeing her family grow. She wanted to live a life filled with love, joy and purpose. She deserved every bit of that future, but it was torn from her and from us. We will carry broken hearts for the rest of our lives, for a light has gone out in our family.

“No sentence imposed will ever reflect the heartache and pain inflicted upon our family. We will never be able to come to terms with the loss of our beloved Taz.”

Sidpara, 50, of Tarbat Road, Thurnby Lodge, Leicester, will be sentenced later this month. At the sentencing hearing he will receive a life sentence and the judge will set a minimum period he must spend behind bars before he can be considered for parole.