Partner strangled in jealous rage, West Bromwich murder trial told
A man killed his partner when she tried to leave him for a love rival, a court has heard.
At the beginning of the murder trial of Gurinder Singh yesterday, the jury was told he strangled Paramjit Kaur on July 2 2011 in Walter Street, West Bromwich, because she wanted to leave him.
Outlining his case prosecuting solicitor Gareth Walters said this was not a 'whodunnit' as Singh, aged 42, had admitted to killing Paramjit, 34, to the police.
Mr Walters told Wolverhampton Crown Court that Singh killed her after he discovered she had met and begun a sexual relationship with a man she knew from India called Budh Ram.
About a week and a half before July 2, Paramjit decided to leave Singh, and the night before her death Mr Ram went to the house she shared with the defendant to collect her belongings and arranged to pick her up the next day.
But about 6.45am the next day Mr Ram had a missed call from her mobile, and when he later tried to call her back a man, Singh, answered the phone.
Mr Walters said: "He said he was going to kill Mr Ram, and asked why he had picked up Paramjit's belongings." Later that evening, Mr Walters said Mr Ram received another call and there were more threats to kill him.
At around 8.20pm, Singh surrendered himself to Smethwick police station. There, he told officers he had 'put his hands around her neck', and indicated Paramjit's body was in a store room at the back of the house.
Two officers then visited the home, where her body was discovered in a storage cupboard.
Mr Walters said Singh, in interview, said he hadn't killed her on purpose and hadn't known she was dead. He told officers she had said she didn't love him and had just been using him.
He then said he had grabbed her around the neck with both hands telling her he loved her, and tried to kiss her. After she had collapsed, he told the police he put her in the cupboard as he couldn't lift her.
Mr Walters said: "The prosecution suggests he knew exactly what he was doing.
"When he realised she was going with another man, he reacted in anger, jealousy, whatever it was, and strangled her."
Mr Walters said the jury needs to decide whether this was a case of murder, which Singh denies, or manslaughter.
The case continues.
