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Grandmother guilty of murder plot Grandmother guilty of murder plot
(30 minutes later)
A 70-year-old grandmother and her son have been found guilty of murdering his wife in a so-called "honour killing".A 70-year-old grandmother and her son have been found guilty of murdering his wife in a so-called "honour killing".
Prosecutors told the Old Bailey Bachan Athwal and her son Sukhdave Athwal, 43, both from Hayes, west London, arranged her murder to defend the family honour. Prosecutors told the Old Bailey Bachan Athwal and her son Sukhdave Athwal, 43, both from Hayes, west London, arranged the murder to defend the family honour.
Surjit Athwal, 27, who wanted a divorce, went missing in 1998 after going to the Punjab with Mrs Athwal.Surjit Athwal, 27, who wanted a divorce, went missing in 1998 after going to the Punjab with Mrs Athwal.
Mrs Athwal and her son were found guilty at the Old Bailey of murder and conspiracy to murder. The pair were told to expect life sentences and were remanded into custody until sentencing in September.
Surjit Athwal, originally from Coventry, had worked as a customs officer at Heathrow Airport and married Sukhdave, who worked as a driver at the airport, when she was 16. Surjit, originally from Coventry, never returned from a trip with Bachan Athwal to a family wedding in India in December 1998.
She never returned from a trip with Bachan to a family wedding in India in December 1998. Her body has never been found. Frightened relatives
The court heard it was likely Bachan had her thrown into the River Ravi in the Punjab. Her body has never been found.
Later, the grandmother of 16 children boasted that she had got rid of her by getting a relative to strangle her and throw her body into a river in the Punjab.Later, the grandmother of 16 children boasted that she had got rid of her by getting a relative to strangle her and throw her body into a river in the Punjab.
Bachan took charge of Surjit's young daughter, getting the girl to call her "mummy", the Old Bailey heard. The pair were only caught when "frightened" members of their own family reported them to police.
"They were frightened that if they told anybody, the same sort of thing might happen to them as they believed happened to the victim," Michael Worsley QC, prosecuting, said.
Surjit began an affair with a work colleague
Mr Worsley said "family honour was at stake" when it was discovered Surjit was having an affair with a married man and wanted a divorce.
Bachan vowed a divorce would could only take place "over my dead body".
Bachan called a family meeting to discuss killing Surjit a month before she vanished, the court heard.
Sarbjit Athwal, another daughter-in-law, said: "My mother-in-law said she wasn't getting on and it was causing too much confusion and problems in the family - and they were going to get rid of Surjit."
After having her killed, Bachan and Sukhdave then pretended Surjit had run away. They forged letters supposed to be from the Metropolitan Police to their Indian counterparts to throw detectives off the scent.
Sukhdave married Surjit when she was just 16
Mother and son also faked a document transferring ownership of the home Surjit part-owned into their names.
Sukhdave took out a £100,000 insurance policy on his wife the day she left for India. It was never paid out.
He later divorced Surjit in her absence, claiming she deserted him, and then he married someone else, said Mr Worsley.
Surjit first met her Sikh husband on her wedding day in 1988, when she was just 16.
She had worked as a customs officer at Heathrow Airport and married Sukhdave, who worked as a driver at the airport.
Judge Giles Forrester remanded the mother and son in custody for sentencing on 19 September.