Ex-lover gets life for curry murder

A JEALOUS woman who laced her former lover’s curry with poison was given a life sentence yesterday for his murder.

Lakhvir Singh, aged 45, was told she would serve a minimum of 23 years after she was convicted of poisoning Lakhvinder “Lucky” Cheema and his fiancée Gurjeet Choongh.

Singh was driven to murder to stop her secret lover of 16 years marrying his young fiancée.

The jealous mother of three sneaked into the home of Cheema and Choongh and spiked a curry in the fridge with deadly Indian aconite — known as the Queen of Poisons.

It was the first time the poison had been used to kill in England since 1882.

The couple ate the meal as they discussed their wedding — which was due to take place just weeks later on Valentine’s Day last year.

Within hours of eating the curry on January 27, Cheema, aged 39, was dead after having second helpings and Choongh, aged 21, was fighting for her life in hospital.

Singh, of Southall, west London, showed no emotion as she was found guilty of murder.

She was also found guilty of causing Choongh grievous bodily harm with intent but was cleared of attempting to murder her and of administering poison to Cheema in December 2008 at his home in Princes Road, Feltham, west London.

Sentencing her at the Old Bailey, Judge Paul Worsley told her: “You were not just a spurned lover, you did not simply explode in anger at your rejection.

“You set about a cold and calculating revenge.”

Singh looked close to tears as she was sentenced. She glanced up at the public gallery as she was taken down after learning she would be nearly 70 by the time she was eligible for release.

Choongh said she could never forgive Singh for taking away the man she was about to marry.

She said: “I believe she should be given the sternest sentence possible so that it deters anyone else from even considering doing this to another person.”

Choongh told the court in a victim impact statement she still suffers the stress of having been close to death.

She said: “I am still under a lot of stress. It preys on my mind all the time.

“The time I spent in hospital was a very difficult time for me.

“I still do not feel fully recovered and I believe it will affect me for the rest of my life.

She added: “Lakhvinder Cheema was my fiancé and we were to be married on February 14, 2009.

“Preparations for the wedding were under way, here as well as in India where my family lives.

“However, it is very unfortunate that Lakhvinder was snatched away from us.

“He was looking forward to having children and also having his elderly father living with us.

“Even though I knew him only three-and-a-half months, he had a very important place in my life. Now my life without him is extremely hard.”

Choongh was sometimes just feet away from Singh, who had been on bail, in court.