unsolved-murders.co.uk
Unsolved Murders
Tags

Hajinder Singh

Age: 40

Sex: male

Date: 30 Jun 1991

Place: Hawthorn Drive, Harrow

Hajinder Singh was strangled in his home.

His 40-year-old lover was tried for his murder but was acquitted.

It was claimed that she had strangled him with one hand after a row over a football match on the television.

However, his lover said that she had woken up to find Hajinder Singh lying spread eagled at the foot of the stairs, naked from the waist down, and that he must have been murdered by a mystery intruder.

The police said that they found no signs of a break-in at their flat.

Hajinder Singh was a cleaner and had separated from his wife in 1985 shortly after which he had begun to live with his lover.

Hajinder Singh was described as slightly built, 5ft 4in tall and weighing about 8 stone whilst his lover was described as burly.

It was heard that after Hajinder Singh had separated from his wife that his wife and daughter had been incensed with Hajinder Singh's lover and had continually pestered her which had resulted in her taking out a court order against them.

It was said that although Hajinder Singh's relationship with his lover was not always happy, that he had resolved to divorce his wife and had been to see his brother to discuss the property settlement on 29 June 1991.

Hajinder Singh was found dead in the early hours of the following day, 30 June 1991.

It was heard that after finding Hajinder Singh dead, his lover had gone off to a 24/hour garage in Imperial Drive, Harrow at 2am and asked the man there to call an ambulance. However, the man said that he refused to leave his post and refused to help her and that she then went off.

The lover was next seen at 20th Century Cabs, which was nearby, at about 4.45am where she told the man there that Hajinder Singh had fallen down the stairs and had broken his neck. The cab controller there then called for an ambulance and then took Hajinder Singh's lover back to her flat where he then saw Hajinder Singh lying on the hallway stairs.

At the trial, the court heard that Hajinder Singh's post-mortem revealed that he had been strangled from the front and that it was apparent that he must have then been moved to the location where he was found.

It was noted that his underpants were found on the sofa in the living room.

As Hajinder Singh's post-mortem was being carried out it was heard that his lover admitted that she had had a can of Guinness and a couple of vodka and lemonades the night before whilst Hajinder Singh watched an erotic film on television and that an argument broke out when she complained about having to look at bare breasts. She said that Hajinder Singh then turned the TV channel over to the World Cup football, which she said also infuriated her and said that because she was fed up with the football that she went to bed.

Hajinder Singh's lover said that it was usual for Hajinder Singh to sit about in his underpants in the flat when there was nobody else about.

She said that when she later woke to find that he was not in bed with her she got up to look for him and found him at that foot of the stairs. She said that she then went out to the 24/hour garage to ask for an ambulance to be called and then later went to the cab office, but said that she didn't know what she did in the intervening time, saying that she must have been in a state of shock. She added that she didn't call the police from one of the nearby telephone boxes as she thought that she needed a telephone card.

The jury spent five hours deliberating over their verdict before finding Hajinder Singh's lover not guilty. Following the acquittal, the police said that they were not looking for anyone else in connection with his murder.


*map pointers are rough estimates based on known location details as per Place field above.

see www.courtnewsuk.co.uk

see Pinner Observer - Thursday 11 July 1991