Woman killed in Oldbury home had filed for divorce from accused after 'relationship broke down', court told
A woman found dead at her marital home in Oldbury was in a 'deeply unhappy' relationship with the man accused of her murder and was seeking a divorce.
Wolverhampton Crown Court heard Paramjit Kaur, aged 46 was found dead on Monday March 31 around 8am at the home in Swan Crescent, Oldbury she shared with husband Harminder Mattu.
Forensic evidence showed she had died the previous night around 11pm with a knife found by her side although there was evidence of strangulation.
Mattu, aged 50, also of Swan Crescent, is accused of her murder, a charge he denies.
On the first day of his trial, prosecuting barrister Mr Jonathon Barker, said the couple had been married for nearly 10 years after Paramjit had came to the UK from India . initially staying with her cousin before meeting Mattu.
But the relationship had been 'deeply unhappy' at least on her side, and just a month before she was found dead, she had applied for a divorce giving reasons of an irrevocable breakdown of the marriage.
Addressing the jury Mr Barker said: "You will hear there were clear signs she was deeply unhappy and the marriage had problems.
"There were no children and there was little physical contact, something we say caused the defendant frustration and which they both argued about.
"It was a relationship which was also blighted, we say, by Mattu's heavy drinking which made him volatile at times."
"The divorce petition is a matter of record and also a complaint from the victim in December 2024, to the police about a violent argument.
"She had gone out for the night and came back late, returning home after a party which he questioned and when she mentioned about pursuing a divorce he became violent, slapping her face, injuring her leg and breaking her mobile phone although she chose not to press charges.
"During this interview she also recounted to police a previous incident in February 2023 when he placed his hand around her throat, causing her to struggle to breathe and eventually lose consciousness.
"This caused her to move out because she was terrified of the defendant and had already looked for a way to divorce him for many years."
The court heard she moved in initially with her cousin and his wife again and then with a friend and colleague from Panasar Foods where she worked - she only moved back in with Mattu when he threatened to harm himself.
Earlier, the court heard Mattu had initially gone to West Bromwich Police Station in the hours after the alleged murder after walking around through the nighand told staff at the front desk he had killed someone.
But when he was eventually questioned about the death he answered no comment.
The trial, which is expected to last two weeks, continues.