Tanveer Ahmed, 32, pleads guilty to murder of Glasgow shopkeeper Asad Shah in religiously motivated attack
Knifeman brutally stabbed popular shopkeeper for wishing Christians a happy Easter
THE man who killed a Glasgow shopkeeper in a religiously motivated attack has admitted to murder.
Tanveer Ahmed, 32, sensationally changed his plea after stabbing Asad Shah 30 times outside his newsagents.
Mr Shah, 40, who ran a convenience store in the city's Shawlands area, was stabbed in a frenzied attack outside his shop after he had wished Christian friends "happy Easter".
He died in hospital shortly the attack on March 24.
Ahmed, from Bradford in West Yorkshire, pleaded guilty at the High Court in Glasgow to murdering the "brilliant" family man.
He was remanded in custody and will be sentenced on August 9.
Judge Lady Rae, said he would face a very lengthy period of imprisonment.
She told Ahmed: "This was a truly despicable crime, motivated, it seems, by your sense of offence at a man's expression of his religious beliefs, which differ from yours.
"Let me be clear - there's no justification whatsoever for what you did."
It was initially thought he had butchered Mr Shah because he was in a different Muslim sect to his own.
RELATED STORIES
The shopkeeper victim practised with the Ahmadi community, known for its non-violence and tolerance of other faiths.
Hours before he was killed on the day before Good Friday, Mr Shah posted on Facebook: "Good Friday and very Happy Easter, especially to my beloved Christian nation."
At an earlier hearing Ahmed claimed he killed Mr Shah because the shopkeeper was claiming to be a prophet.
He said he was standing up for the honour of Islam.
A statement read through his lawyers said: "This all happened for one reason and no other issues and no other intentions.
"Asad Shah disrespected the messenger of Islam the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him. Mr Shah claimed to be a prophet.
"No one has the right to disrespect the sayings of the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him and no one has the right to disrespect the Prophet of Islam Muhammad Peace be upon him.
"If I had not done this others would and there would have been more killing and violence in the world."
He denied Mr Shah's Easter comments influenced the murder adding: "I wish to make it clear that the incident was nothing at all to do with Christianity or any other religious beliefs even although I am a follower of the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him I also love and respect Jesus Christ."
Hi statement was slammed by Muslim leaders at the time.
Ahmed, a Sunni Muslim, drove 200 miles from his home in Bradford to Glasgow to confront Mr Shah before launching a deadly attack.
En route he commented on Facebook under Mr Shah's posts, writing: "Something needs to be done."
After the killing he sat calmly at a bus-stop waiting for police to arrive and arrest him.
Ahmed had admitted manslaughter but denied murder until today hearing.
Mr Shah was found bleeding to death injuries outside his shop, Shah’s Newsagents and Convenience Store, in Minard Road.
He was rushed to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital and pronounced dead on arrival.
He was described as a pillar of the community and a vigil held outside his shop 24 hours after his death was attended by hundreds of people , including First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.
A fundraising page on GoFundMe has raised more than £110,000 for Asad’s family.
Mr Shah fled violence in Pakistan to join his family in Scotland in 1998 and was granted asylum.
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at [email protected] or call 0207 782 4512.