Man sentenced to life for brutal murder

2:13pm Friday 5th September 2008

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A 33-YEAR-OLD man has been given a life sentence for a murder he committed five years ago.

Guljinder Singh Gurewal, of no fixed address, was told he will serve a minimum of 13 years when he was sentenced at Maidstone Crown Court on September 5.

He had pleaded guilty to murdering Sidcup man Kamaljit Kalon, who was known as Bobby.

The 31-year-old was stabbed on Gordon Promenade in Gravesend on July 10, 2003.

Prosecutor John Price said the attack happened in front of a large number of people and the victim suffered 24 stab wounds.

Mr Price said: "It was a truly shocking and frightening scene. This man was attacked and stabbed to death by two men and received multiple stab wounds."

The court heard Mr Kalon knew a woman called Bhupinder Lehal, who at the time was living with her husband Surinder in Edwin Street, Gravesend.

Bhupinder had helped to organise Mr Kalon's marriage to his wife, Ravinder.

Mr Price said: "It seemed the relationship between Bobby and Bhupinder continued and made tension between Bobby and Ravinder, and Bhupinder and her husband."

The court heard Mr Kalon told Bhupinder he loved her and wanted to marry her.

He also said she should leave her husband, threatened to kill her and said he would not leave her alone.

Mr Price said on the evening of the attack Gurewal, who is Bhupinder's cousin, and another man met Mr Kalon at a pre-arranged meeting.

After the attack both men fled to Italy but last year Gurewal returned to the UK.

Philip Misner, mitigating, said: "He had never been in trouble before and his world was a very small one."

Judge Andrew Patience told Gurewal: "What took place was utterly wicked. Once you had the knife in your hand, you intended to kill him."

Mr Kalon had been married to his wife for two years. He also cared for her three children from a previous marriage.

Outside court after Gurewal was sentenced, she said: "To me it is not enough. He should have a whole life sentence.

"My husband was a kind, caring, loving man to me and my children."

Detective Superintendent Anne Brittain, who led the murder inquiry, said: "The murder of Bobby was a brutal and senseless act on a man in the prime of life."

She added the case will remain open until the second man is also brought to justice.