Severed Hand Case - Old Bailey Trial Begins

Husband accused of killing wife who had planned divorce

The Old Bailey has heard how a man arranged the murder of his wife in Greenford after she began divorce proceedings.

Geeta Aulakh, 28, a mother of two had her hand severed as she was killed Braund Avenue last November.

Her husband Harpreet Aulakh, of Greenford, denies offering £5,000 for her killing.

The court heard that Mr Aulakh told a room of men he was willing to pay for his wife - a receptionist at a radio station - to be killed.

A divorce "would not be tolerated", prosecuting QC Aftab Jafferjee added, alleging that Mr Aulakh ensured he was in a pub with CCTV cameras at the time of the murder so he had an alibi.

Mrs Aulakh was attacked by a group of men who "knew exactly where to wait and when to be there", Mr Jafferjee told the court.

"There were three of them - albeit only one would hack her to death.

"So savage and determined was the mission to kill her that when she sought to protect her head, her right hand was completely severed from her arm.

"The man who organised this murder was none other than her own husband," he alleged.

"He planned it. The other three defendants executed it."

Sher Singh, 19, of Southall, west London; Harpreet Singh, 20, of Slough, Berkshire; and Jaswant Dhillon, 30, of Ilford, east London, also deny murder.

The trial continues

18 October 2010