MAN JAILED FOR LIFE AFTER MURDERING WIFE FILING FOR DIVORCE
A man convicted of murdering his wife after she initiated divorce proceedings has received a life sentence.Harminder Mattu assaulted Paramjit Kaur at their residence on Swan Crescent, Oldbury, on 30 March 2025.
During a hearing at Wolverhampton Crown Court on Thursday, Judge John Butterfield KC imposed a minimum term of 18 years in prison.
The judiciary pointed to prior episodes of violence and coercive behavior as factors aggravating the case.
Mattu claimed that Kaur was intoxicated and struck him during the assault, asserting he managed to seize a knife from her, which led to her stabbing him during their struggle.
Nonetheless, a jury determined that Mattu had the intent to kill his wife.
An examination after her death showed that she died from neck compression rather than her stab wounds, which likely happened after she lost consciousness.
The court observed that the prolonged nature of her strangulation indicated a clear intent to end her life.
Kaur, who was 46, was attempting to leave Mattu following her divorce filing two months earlier, which ended their decade-long marriage.
She had previously been subjected to violence, including being slapped, her leg twisted, and her phone broken in December 2024, though she did not press charges.
There was also a minor, unreported incident where Mattu briefly caused her to lose consciousness by grabbing her throat.
Her brother described her as a diligent, compassionate person who was generous and supportive to her family.
