Two days ago New Zealand put Ahmad Riyaz Khan on trial, for the absolutely horrific honor killing of an ex-girlfriend: Jury will see video of woman burned alive. (Hat tip: annelid.)

A jury in a murder trial in the High Court at Auckland is to see security video footage of a woman being burned alive at the service station where she worked.

“When you see the tape, you will see a murder being committed,” Crown prosecutor Aaron Perkins said in his opening address yesterday.

Ahmad Riyaz Khan, aged 23 of Mangere, is accused of murder by setting fire to his former girlfriend Gulshad Banu Hussein at the Shell service station in Atkinson Ave, Otahuhu, in August last year after she said she did not want anything more to do with him.

It is alleged that as the 23-year-old woman tried desperately to escape, Khan poured a litre bottle of lighter fluid over her head, shoulders and upper body before setting her ablaze with a cigarette lighter.

Mr Perkins told the jury that Ms Hussein “erupted in what can only be described as a fireball”.

“She died a horrible death while this young man simply watched on.”

Mr Perkins said that Khan, a car groomer, fell for the attractive, hard-working, ambitious woman and they started seeing each other about a month before her death.

But Mr Perkins said that the relationship soured and Ms Hussein made it clear she wanted nothing more to do with Khan. However, Khan was obsessive and refused to accept that it was over.

Ms Hussein was said to be scared of Khan who on one occasion allegedly hid near the service station where she was the manager and chased her when she left. She was advised to take out a trespass notice against him.

Khan allegedly told a witness he was going to “blow up” the service station.

The full story is even worse than the section I quoted.