Shop workers serving life sentences for murdering a Chatham grandmother have lodged an appeal against their convictions and sentences.

Barristers on behalf of Murshed Miah and Mohammad Islam, have lodged papers with the Court of Appeal in London, after they were handed life sentences in May.

The pair were found guilty of murdering retired machinist Harjit Chaggar, who was beaten and thrown into the basement cellar of Sani Globe food store and left to die.

The 69-year-old went missing in September 2013, and her body was discovered at the shop 12 days later. She had bled to death for up to six hours with devastating injuries.

Miah, 38, from Maidstone, and 29-year-old Islam, from Gillingham, were convicted of murdering her in “an act of utter wickedness” following an eight-week trial at Canterbury Crown Court.

Judge Adele Williams jailed Islam and Miah for life, with both serving a minimum of 25 years.

The pair were also found guilty of preventing Mrs Chaggar’s lawful burial or cremation and were each given five-year sentences for these charges to run concurrently.

Their boss and Murshed Miah’s brother, Abdul Hannan, 45, and another shop worker, 27-year-old Rasad Miah, who is the half-brother of Hannan and Murshed Miah, were also convicted of preventing Mrs Chaggar’s burial and were each jailed for five years.

Rasad Miah is also appealing his sentence and conviction and Hannan is appealing his sentence.

Murshed Miah, of Wheeler Street, Maidstone; Islam, of Windmill Road, Gillingham; Hannan, of Aldon Close, Maidstone; and Rasad Miah, of Otway Street, Chatham, had all denied the charges against them.

Widow Mrs Chaggar disappeared while out shopping in Chatham after visiting her doctor’s surgery to pick up a prescription.

Mrs Chaggar’s son, Kuldish, 47, said: “The [appeal] procedures are all wrong I think.
“Just when you think its over, you find out it isn’t.

“We as a family were just trying to get our lives back to some normality again, our lives back in order, and then this knocks you for six.

“We just have to keep going I guess.”