Husband 'murdered ex-wife' Balvinder Gahir in 'frenzied attack'

A woman was murdered by her "overbearing" ex-husband in a "frenzied assault" at her home in a dispute over property, a court has heard.

Balvinder Gahir, 54, was repeatedly struck on her head and body in the attack in Lillington, Leamington Spa, on 24 August.

Jasbinder Gahir and the couple's son, Rohan Gahir, 23, both from Maidenhead in Berkshire, deny murder.

Mr Gahir had "demonised" his ex-wife to their children for years, jurors heard.

Coventry Crown Court was told the 58-year-old remortgaged the family home in Valley Road in 2008, without Mrs Gahir's knowledge and used part of the money to buy a flat in Slough.

He started taking a rental income but did not share the money with Mrs Gahir.

This led to the breakdown of the couple's marriage and Mrs Gahir, known as Bally, subsequently sought two court orders against her husband.

One in 2012 banned him from threatening violence and harassing her, the court was told, and a second ordered him to transfer his interest in their family home and pay her £30,000 by September 2015.

Despite years of being "belittled" by Mr Gahir as a "psycho mum", she did not enforce the terms of the 2015 order, jurors heard.

However, by last summer, "Bally had had enough", prosecutor Phil Bradley QC said, and decided to enforce the court order.

The court was told a recorded phone call captured Mr Gahir's "rage" at the decision and he said he would attack her "because she's a greedy cow... I worked for it all."

He and his son were captured on CCTV parking by her home.

Mr Gahir then allegedly entered the house unannounced and "subjected her to a sustained and frenzied assault" in her bedroom.

Paramedics found her with "catastrophic" injuries and she was confirmed dead at the scene.

The couple's son, Rohan Gahir, "was an accessory to the murder because of his shared motivation," Mr Bradley told the court, adding he "encouraged and assisted his father".

Mrs Gahir's lodger, Takudzwa Manduna, 28, of Duriun Way, Erith, Kent, and a 16-year-old girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, are also on trial accused of perverting the course of justice, but deny any wrongdoing.

The trial continues.

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