Alps massacre father kept 50,000-volt Taser gun in house

THE British businessman shot dead with his family while on holiday in the French Alps had a Taser stun gun capable of firing darts charged with 50,000 volts in his house.

Police are examining the possibility that Saad al-Hilli may have been in fear for his life after finding the weapon. Taser guns are illegal in Britain and possession could lead to a jail sentence of as much as 10 years.

Eric Maillaud, chief prosecutor in the city of Annecy in Southern France, said investigators had not established whether the Taser – discovered at the house in Claygate, Surrey – belonged to Hilli himself, nor whether the weapon was kept because of a specific threat.

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“It could be like a woman who carries tear gas in her bag more as a precaution than because of a specific concern,” he said.

Taser stun guns, pictured below, fire two darts a distance of 21ft and capable of delivering a shock of 50,000 volts, but although incapacitated, those shot with such a device are unlikely to suffer any adverse side effects. The weapons are currently banned under the Firearms Act 1968.

Hilli was shot dead on September 5 in his BMW estate car in woods near Annecy. His wife, Iqbal, and her mother, Suhaila al-Allaf, were also murdered. The couple’s daughter Zainab, 7, was shot but survived while her younger sister, Zeena, 4, escaped unharmed after hiding under her mother’s skirt for over 10 hours. A fourth murder victim was a French cyclist who appeared to have been passing at the time.

The principal line of enquiry for French police and their British counterparts is that Saad al-Hilli was in dispute with his brother over their father’s will. Zaid al-Hilli has denied that there was any dispute with his murdered brother but friends have said that there was a rift between the two men.

The estate of Kadhem al Hilli is said to be worth £4 million and includes properties in Spain and France. Prior to his death Hilli had taken out a caveat on the will to stop probate being granted until certain issues were resolved.

This weekend the French chief prosecutor revealed that Hilli had brought files connected to the inheritance with him on the family holiday. “We found documents about the legacy at his family home and in his caravan near Annecy, so this was a matter which worried Saad at the time.

The inheritance is part of our inquiries and whether or not it had a role in the tragedy.”

The police are also investigating Hilli’s work for Surrey Satellite Technology in Guildford and his links to Iraq.

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The French media reported over that weekend that two wills connected with the estate of Hilli’s father were also found in the family home.

Another line of inquiry is that the family were victims of a serial killer, as there have been a series of serial murders in the Chablais region, which is to the north of Annecy.

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