A husband who plunged a ceremonial sword into his naked wife's body after chasing her down a Black Country street was jailed for life yesterday for the third time in 10 years.
Gurbinder Singh Samra (34) was jailed for life at Stafford Crown Court in May 1995 for the murder of Kulvinder Kaur but the Criminal Cases Review Commission in Birmingham reopened his case last year and sent it to the Appeal Court in London.
The conviction was quashed and Lord Justice Kennedy ordered a retrial and said medical reports indicated he may have been suffering from an "explosive personality disorder" when he killed the 24-year-old mother of one.
At the latest hearing Samra - formerly of Sabell Road, Smethwick - pleaded guilty to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility and denied murder. His plea was accepted by Philip Parker QC, prosecuting, who told Judge John Shand: "We have considered 14 reports from psychiatrists and psychologists and manslaughter is the possible verdict a jury would bring in."
However, Samra is currently serving another life sentence, which he is serving at Rampton Special Hospital, after being found guilty of false imprisonment of a prison officer while serving his first life sentence.
Sentencing him to a third life sentence, Judge John Shand said: "This case has a long history and the matter I am concerned with dates back to 1994. Having been initially
convicted of murder your case went to the Court of Appeal and it was quashed. I make it perfectly plain that it is inevitable I am going to pass a life sentence to protect the public and in the light of medical evidence.
"Your wife was threatening to leave you with your son and return to India. There had at times been a violent relationship and you have an unstable, emotional history. What happened was a violent, savage attack. She left the house naked and you followed her. You may be eligible for parole now but the Parole Board could not consider your release for the protection of the public and not for many years."
Mr Parker said Samra had relationships with other women "and when they failed went back to his wife". She adopted a very much firmer
stand with her husband and the day before she was killed she was considering her position and whether to return to India for good.
"On the day she died neighbours were disturbed by screaming and saw the wife being dragged naked into the middle of the road. His mother and sister came out from their house nearby. His mother was carrying a ceremonial spear. He took it from her and lunged at his wife on the ground. His sister said his face was evil.
"The spear was embedded in her leg. She was stabbed five or six times and punched. He walked calmly back to his house and left his wife with the spear stuck in her. The spear had gone into her chest, abdomen, and thigh. There were also injuries to her lung indicating multiple thrusts and penetrating wounds to
her chest. The police arrested him at his house and he was calm and unconcerned."
Samra was alleged to have told the police: "I can't remember what I did with it but I must have used it. I was feeling as if my head was not working. I was hearing voices in my head."
Paul Lewis QC, defending, said: "The defendant is anxious that the matter should be resolved and finalised today. He has been dealing with this offence since 1994 and he has been in custody either in prison or in hospital since that day. He never denied the killing or his responsibility. The reasons behind the killing were complicated and difficult. His wife made threats to leave him their son and return to India. At that time he was suffering from an abnormal state of mind."
