'Gutless coward': Ukranian student jailed for life after killing Muslim pensioner in ... - Metro

Ukrainian student Pavlo Lapshyn has been jailed for life (Picture: PA)

A student who murdered a Muslim pensioner and also planted three bombs near mosques has been given a life sentence with a minimum term of 40 years.

Pavlo Lapshyn, 25, from Ukraine, admitted to police he had killed Mohammed Saleem, 82, because he hated 'non-whites'.

He also laid three bombs near mosques in Walsall, Wolverhampton and Tipton in the West Midlands.

The family of Mohammed Saleem (left to right) Hanif Khan, Shazia Khan, Massarrat Saleem and Jamal Ahmed (Picture: PA)

Mr Saleem's daughter Shazia Khan spoke of her 'shock and sadness' over her father's murder in a victim impact statement read out by judge Mr Justice Sweeney.

'Dad did not die of old age or illness, he died because he was stabbed violently in the back by a gutless coward who did not have the courage to face him before he took his life away,' he said.

'Our mother weeps to this day. She was minutes away from him. She could have saved him and she will always blame herself for this.

Mohammed Saleem was stabbed to death as he walked home from his mosque (Picture: PA)

'She will not accept that the circumstances were out of anyone's control.'

Father-of-seven Mr Saleem was stabbed three times just a few metres from his house, after attending his mosque on April 29.