Ahmad Otak jailed for 34 years for murdering two teenagers

A man who forced his ex-girlfriend to watch him murder her sister and her friend after she refused to take him back has been jailed for life.

Ahmad Otak, an asylum seeker from Afghanistan, stabbed 17-year-old Kimberley Frank and Samantha Sykes, 18, in March in West Yorkshire.

He then abducted his ex partner, 19-year-old Elisa Frank, and drove to Dover in a bid to flee the country.

Otak was jailed for a minimum of 34 years at Leeds Crown Court.

Otak, who repeatedly lied about his age but is thought to be at least 22, pleaded guilty to two counts of murder at a hearing in October.

Judge Justice Coulson told the double killer he "behaved like an animal" and was "incapable of behaving like a human being".

He said he was a "practised liar" who repaid the generosity the UK had shown to him by murdering two teenage girls with a "significant degree of premeditation".

Otak, of Linton Road, Wakefield, arrived in the UK in 2007 and was granted humanitarian protection to stay in Britain.

The court heard he lied about his age to get preferred treatment by social services.

The court heard he had a turbulent relationship with Ms Frank, who he met in care, and became increasingly possessive, threatening to kill her if she left him.

In February, Ms Frank broke off their relationship.

A month later, Otak went to Kimberley Frank's flat with a kitchen knife that he bought that day and stabbed her 15 times as her sister was made to watch.

Prosecution barrister Richard Mansell QC told the court: "At one point he stood over Kimberley Frank's body, laughed, licked blood from the knife and spat at her body."

Otak then tied Ms Frank up and made her ask her friend Miss Sykes to come to the flat. When Miss Sykes arrived, he stabbed her repeatedly.

Miss Sykes sustained 32 stab and slash wounds.

Otak then abducted Ms Frank and fled to Dover.

They met an illegal immigrant, Bahram Bahrami, at the port and hid with him in the back of a wagon.

But as Otak's back was turned, Ms Frank told Mr Bahrami she was being held at knifepoint.

He wrestled the knife from Otak, fled to nearby houses with Ms Frank and the police were called.

Mr Justice Coulson said: "You killed two people in the brutal way that you had planned.

"You forced Elisa Frank to take part and then abducted her, and your treatment of her sister's body demonstrates at least a degree of sadism.

"You will not even be considered for release until the year 2046."

Following the hearing, Det Ch Insp Simon Atkinson, of West Yorkshire Police, said the sentencing would "ensure that a very dangerous man rightly spends a very long time in prison".

Miss Sykes' mother, Julie Warren-Sykes, said: "Since our beautiful daughter was taken from us our lives have been shattered.

"We will never get over the fact we can no longer see or hear her, but she will be eternally loved by all those who were touched by her wonderful spirit."

She also criticised the care system.

"It is our strong belief that Wakefield Children's Social Care failed our daughter by not providing the appropriate level of protection and support for Kimberley and her sister," she said.

"Had the appropriate level of protection and support been in place, we believe that both Kimberley and Samantha might still have been alive today."

Wakefield Council said it was carrying out a serious case review.

Edwina Harrison, who chairs the Wakefield and District Safeguarding Children Board, said: "The review is taking all the issues being raised in this tragic case very seriously."