Woman ordered honour killing of son's wife

Bachan Athwal, a 70-year-old grandmother, screamed "liars" as she was led away, having been convicted of ordering the honour killing of her daughter-in-law.

Bachan Athwal, the Old Bailey had heard, was a matriarch who had enlisted support for the "appalling murder" because she felt her daughter-in-law's ways had damaged the family honour.

Surjit Kaur Athwal, 27, a vivacious, westernised woman and mother-of-two, disappeared off the face of the earth after travelling to a family wedding in India in December 1998.

Her body was never found but the grandmother boasted to relatives that she had arranged for her to be strangled and thrown in the river. Bachan Athwal and her son, Surjit's husband, Sukhdave Athwal, 43, nearly got away with murder but eventually other frightened family members went to police.

Yesterday, the pair from Hayes, west London, were convicted of murder, and were facing life sentences.

As she was led away, Bachan Athwal, who has 16 grandchildren, burst into tears and waved her hands at the jury, calling out "liars" and "lies".

"Take no notice of that. Emotions run extremely high in such a case," said Judge Giles Forrester, adding that the pair had been convicted on compelling evidence.

Outside court, Surjit Athwal's brother, Jagdeesh Singh, said: "A guilty verdict has brought the struggle and pain of nine years to a positive conclusion. The conviction sends out a powerful signal that this kind of cold, calculated, concealed murder will be seized and punished."

Surjit Athwal was just 16 when she met her Sikh husband on their wedding day in 1988. But the marriage was unhappy. The gregarious Customs officer at Heathrow airport found it hard to live up to the expectations of her conservative in-laws and went on to start an affair with an immigration officer.

When she learnt that her daughter-in-law wanted a divorce, Bachan Athwal called a family meeting to discuss her killing. "Family honour was at stake," said Michael Worsley, QC, for the prosecution. "She was in a matriarchal position with all the authority that goes with it in a tight-knit community. It was hanging over the family - something that would be disgraceful to it."

Sarbjit Athwal, another daughter-in-law, said: "They were going to get rid of Surjit. They were going to take her to India and get rid of her."

The policeman's widow, along with Sukhdave Athwal, forged letters purporting to be from the Metropolitan Police and designed to throw Indian counterparts off the scent.

Surjit Athwal's family, from Coventry, never believed that she would leave her two children. Eventually, other members of the family revealed the secret. "They were frightened that if they told anybody, the same sort of thing might happen to them," said Mr Worsley.

Micky Singh, of the Metropolitan Police Sikh Association, added: "The outcome of the trial sends out a clear message to those that hide behind Sikhism to justify their horrendous crimes."

The pair were remanded in custody to 19 September.