"Man who ‘brutally murdered’ ex-wife at Leamington family home is sentenced"

Jasbinder Gahir attacked his ex-wife Bally Gahir in Leamington



A man who brutally battered his ex-wife Bally Gahir to death as she lay in bed in her Leamington home has been given a life sentence for the horrific killing.

And Jasbinder Gahir, 58, will be at least 86 years old before the Parole Board will even consider his release after a judge at Coventry Crown Court ordered him to serve a minimum of 28 years.

Judge Andrew Lockhart QC said that the murder of Bally, which Gahir of Church View, Maidenhead, had denied, had been motivated by ‘naked greed and financial gain.’

Their youngest son, Rohan Gahir, 23, of the same address, was jailed for three-and-a-half years after being cleared of being involved in the killing but found guilty of perverting the course of justice after driving his father from the scene.

Jailing Gahir, Judge Andrew Lockhart QC told him: “You fall to be sentenced for the murder of your ex-wife Bally, who was brutally murdered at your hands.”

Referring to statements by Bally’s parents and siblings, the judge said: “They are broken by their loss. No words can describe the horror this family has suffered.

“You will live with these consequences as you serve the sentence I am about to pass.

“You were at the heart of a section of this family that was toxic. Your motivations were plain, manipulation, money and murder. The case against you displays violence and naked greed.

“Your life was a lie. You lived a Walter Mitty type of existence. You wove a complex web of lies. “You continued with your lies right up until the moment you moved away from that witness box. Some of your lies were breathtaking.

“Your pretence was coupled with a violent and vindictive nature. Over the course of 11 years you bullied, belittled and defrauded your wife.”

Judge Lockhart added: “You Rohan waited in the car and were ready to drive off as soon as he returned. I must be faithful to the jury’s verdict that you did not know your father was going to attack your mother.

“What had happened in that house was plain to you by the time he returned to the car. You must have seen your father bring back and secrete that weapon.

“By the time you got back to Maidenhead you knew your mother had been battered to death by your father. You chose to side with your father as he sought to clear up evidence of murder.

“What is so very incomprehensible to any human being with an ounce of decency is that you did this to cover up the murder of your own mother, a woman you professed to love. How you will live with that is a matter I cannot help you with."

Judge Lockhart told Rohan Gahir: “It could hardly be a more serious offence of its type. Had you not acted as you did, the case presented to the jury would have been much clearer.