Estranged husband jailed for life after murdering wife in Leeds

• CCTV footage showed Gandhi buying the knives and then loitering outside his wife's flat before the murder

A man who bought a set of kitchen knives at a self-service checkout before murdering his estranged wife has been jailed for life.

Leeds Crown Court heard the killing of Harleen Kaur Satpreet Gandhi was 'premeditated and horrific' as Satpreet Singh Gandhi was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum of 23 years.

CCTV footage released by West Yorkshire Police shows Gandhi, 37, making the purchase at an Asda store in Kirkstall Road in Leeds on 28 August last year.

A week later, on 5 September, he loitered outside the home of 32-year-old Harleen Kaur Satpreet Gandhi in Victoria Road, Headingley, before stabbing her to death.

Prosecutor Nicholas Lumley KC told Leeds Crown Court: "He went [to Asda] with the express intention of buying a set of kitchen knives with which to murder his wife."

The court heard how the couple had an arranged marriage in India after the death of Gandhi's first wife – Harleen's sister.

They had a child together and also looked after the son Gandhi had with his first wife.

But after the couple moved to the UK from India in March 2021 to study, Gandhi became abusive and controlling. He hacked her phone to monitor her movements. In a series of diary entries, he wrote about his jealousy and anger as his wife made new friends.

He complained about her going out, in one entry writing: "She finds an excellent excuse for this as 'freedom'."

He also blamed her for his heavy drinking, writing: "She could have stopped me from alcohol, by showing me more time."

He began to plot her murder after she left him and moved nto a basement flat. In one typed note found after her death he wrote: "This is my revenge for the humiliation and disrespect my wife has for me, even not letting my kids stay with me."

Officers attended the flat after being called to reports of a disturbance at the address on the evening of 5 September.

Ms Ghandi was found unconscious inside the property and was pronounced dead in hospital.

A post-mortem examination later showed she died as a result of a stab wound to thechest. She had a number of defensive wounds.

Armed officers were deployed to trace her estranged husband. He was arrested later that evening at his home address in Kirkstall Road, Burley.

Along with the footage of Gandhi buying the knife, police found CCTV footage showing him waiting across the road from his victim's flat with a backpack believed to contain the knife.

The same camera also caught him leaving the basement and running off after the attack.

West Yorkshire Police said people who knew Ms Gandhi later revealed she had been the victim of abuse.

Satpreet Singh Gandhi pleaded guilty to murder in November. Today, he was sentenced to life with a minimum term of 23 years.

Judge Andrew Stubbs KC said: “It is clear you became increasingly jealous of Harleen and the new friends she was making, the new life she was forging. 

He added: “You could not tolerate the freedom which she had found. You saw her actions as disrespectful and an affront to your honour - they were of course no such thing. 

“Your motive for this killing was revenge to punish her for her behaviour of which you disapproved.

Senior investigating officer Det Insp Amanda Wimbles said: "Harleen had come to the UK to study and was clearly someone who had plans and ambitions for her future when her life was cruelly cut short by her estranged husband’s murderous actions.

"She was living separately from him following an apparent background of domesticabuse and controlling behaviour by him and was attempting to move on with her life.

"It appears that he could not accept this and chose to take her life, as we sadly seetoo often in abusive relationships."

She added that her family had been left "utterly devastated" and encouraged other domestic violence victims to come forward.

Senior Crown Prosecutor Emma Covington, from the CPS, said: “The murder of Harleen Kaur Satpreet Gandhi was premeditated and horrific. Satpreet Singh Gandhi killed his wife because he could not control her and could not stand to watch her enjoy the life she had made for herself after moving to the UK.

“He has deprived two young children of their parents in the most traumatic way possible.“

“Our thoughts remain with Harleen’s family and her children as Gandhi begins his life sentence. The CPS is committed to securing justice for victims of domestic abuse and will always seek to hold violent offenders to account for their crimes.”

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