London, Oct 19 (PTI) A 44-year-old man charged with the murder of Kirandeep Kaur, who was fatally stabbed as she slept in her home in west London, is to stand trial for the killing in April next year.
During a hearing on Monday, Isleworth Crown Court heard that Daniel Sean James allegedly attacked 24-year-old Kaur in her home on Uxbridge Road in Hayes in the early hours of July 12.
He is said to have stabbed the Indian national, who had moved to the UK from Punjab two years previously, as she slept in bed with her husband and three-month-old baby.
“This is a shocking incident which has tragically resulted in one woman losing her life and another man in hospital with injuries,” Detective Chief Inspector Allam Bhangoo of the Metropolitan Police said at the time.
“We know this incident will have caused significant concern in the community and residents can expect to see an increased police presence in the area over the coming days,” he said.
The court heard this week that James remains in custody and now uses a wheelchair. According to a BBC court report, prosecutor Mukul Chawla noted that he was “fully ambulatory” up until the time of the offence.
The murder trial has been scheduled to begin on April 12, 2027, when a jury will hear the evidence.
Community groups had expressed concerns at the time of the attack that it may have been an anti-Sikh hate crime, coming weeks after the conviction of a British Sikh man found guilty of the murder of a teenager in south-east England in May.
Vickrum Digwa, 23, was sentenced to life imprisonment over the fatal stabbing of 18-year-old Henry Nowak following a highly charged trial where Digwa attempted a religious defence for his murder weapon.
The Sikh Network presented findings of a “spot survey” in Parliament that claimed 40 per cent of respondents have experienced or witnessed anti-Sikh hate crimes since the Digwa trial.
Shortly after her death, Kaur’s family in Punjab told the BBC they “never thought such a thing could happen to her in London”. PTI AK GSP GSP
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