Curry Poison Murderer Jailed

A woman has been jailed for life after being convicted of poisoning her former lover and his fiancé in January 2009.

Lakhvinder Cheema, 39, died and his fiancé Gurjeet Choough was seriously ill in hospital as a result of eating the poison, which had been added to a curry.

Lakhvir Kaur Singh, 40, of Marlborough Rd, Southall was found guilty of the murder and GBH with intent following a trial at the Old Bailey.

Ms Singh, who is married with three children, had been the lover of Mr Cheema for about 15 years prior to his engagement to Miss Choough.

Ms Singh was let into Mr Cheema's shared house on Princes Road, Feltham on Tuesday 27 January by a neighbour.

She entered the kitchen and tampered with a container of curry in the kitchen, unbeknown to Mr Cheema or his flat mates.

When he discovered Ms Singh had been in his home he changed his locks,

Mr Cheeman told his fiancé that Ms Singh had called him to say she had been to the house with five men to 'get him'.

Later that evening Miss Choough heated the remainder of the curry for a meal for herself and Mr Cheeman.

Soon they were both incapable of moving, the court heard.

A family member rushed the pair to hospital; both lost their sight and were losing the use of their limbs.

By the time they reached the hospital Mr Cheeman was completely paralysed. He died early on Wednesday 28 January.

Miss Choough was put into a medical coma whilst the staff at the hospital stabilised her heart and breathing.

Ms Singh was arrested later that day and a small packet of the poison was found in her coat pocket and another in her handbag.

The defendant at the time told officers that it was medication for a rash on her neck, giving the medical teams trying to save Miss Choough no assistance by identifying the poison.

Expert forensic analysis identified that the poison Aconite was present in both of the victims, the remains of the curry and the packets found in Ms Singh's coat and handbag.

Detective Inspector Tony Bishop, of the Met's Homicide and Serious Crime Command, said: "This was a premeditated murder by a woman who could not accept that her lover had found happiness with someone else and planned to get married.

"Singh planned this murder, we believe bringing the poison from India, and added it to the food that she knew would be eaten by her victims.

"The poison that Singh used caused appalling symptoms meaning that the last hours of Mr Cheeman's life were extremely traumatic and must have been terrifying."

(PR/GK)