A CLOSE friend of murder victim Sabira Alam has told a jury of her last meeting with the former beauty student.

Stacey Forbes, who had known Miss Alam since primary school, last saw the 20-year-old on March 30.

That was just a few days before she went missing from her home in Vernon Avenue, Greenhead Park – and six days before her body was found on moorland at Buckstones, near Scammonden.

The friends had met up at a Huddersfield cafe before going to a sports centre.

Miss Forbes told a jury at Bradford Crown Court how her friend was concerned about her relationship with Naveed Naeem.

A few days earlier Miss Alam had told her friend that the relationship had broken down, but that Naeem had scared her when he called round and wouldn’t let her leave her room.

While Miss Forbes was with her friend, Naeem sent a text in which he asked Miss Alam to come back to him.

Miss Forbes said: “I said that’s really sweet and she said it’s not when you’re getting them as often as I am”.

She said Naeem was calling Miss Alam throughout the day and at one point she heard her friend say to him “just stop pushing”.

Miss Forbes said she last saw her friend around tea-time on March 30 and a few days later she was told that the student was missing.

Miss Alam’s body was discovered on moorland at Buckstones, Scammonden.

The jury has been told that Miss Alam was strangled, but Naeem, 30, of New Street, Milnsbridge, has denied being responsible for the murder.

During cross-examination, by Naeem’s barrister Bryan Cox QC, Miss Forbes agreed that his client had wanted the relationship to continue.

Miss Forbes said Miss Alam was still in love with Naeem, but was annoyed by his behaviour and clingyness.

“She didn’t want it to go on like it was”, said Miss Forbes.

“She wanted space and wasn’t getting it.”

The court had earlier heard claims that Naeem strangled his girlfriend rather than let her leave him.

The 30-year-old Huddersfield man was branded “possessive and obsessive” by a lawyer.

She had been his girlfriend for 18 months but there had been problems and the court was told that the pair had been rowing, and that Naeem had hit Miss Alam during an argument.

Miss Alam was a former Salendine Nook High School student who had just started a beauty care course in Huddersfield.

She lived with her parents and sisters in their detached home in Edgerton and occasionally worked at the Ripponden Post Office and Stores that the family ran.

The trial continues.