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Life for murder plot grandmother | ||
Bachan Athwal and her son Sukhdave, 43, arranged the murder of Surjit Athwal, 27, who vanished during a trip to India in 1998, the Old Bailey heard. Bachan, 70, and her son, both of Hayes, west London, were found guilty of murder in July. Bachan must serve at least 20 years in jail and her son was jailed for a minimum of 27 years. Judge Giles Forrester told the pair: "The pair of you decided that the so-called honour of your family members was worth more than the life of this young woman. "You, Bachan, were head of that family. I have no doubt you exercised a controlling influence over other family members." Victim had affair During the trial jurors heard Surjit vanished "off the surface of the earth" after attending a family wedding in Punjab with her mother-in-law, almost nine years ago. Prosecutors claimed Bachan, who has 16 grandchildren, ordered Surjit's death at a family meeting after finding out she had been having an affair and wanted a divorce. Bachan vowed a divorce would could only take place "over my dead body". It was years later when frightened relatives went to police, giving them the evidence they needed to charge Bachan and her son. Jurors heard Bachan had boasted that she had got rid of Surjit by getting a relative to strangle her and throw her body into a river. | ||
