A LAUNCESTON man got on top of his wife and used a serrated kitchen knife to cut her neck three times before he strangled her and tried to suffocate her in her own bed, the Supreme Court in Launceston has heard. ‘‘I think your death is coming ... I think you’re going to die,’’ Lokendra Singh, 30, told his wife earlier the same evening, according to the Crown. ‘‘Please save me, please come ... I’m dying, my throat is cut, please I beg of you,’’ a female voice pleaded during a triple-zero call to police, which was played to the jury on Wednesday. Prosecutor Jackie Hartnett told jurors in her opening address that Mr Singh had previously strangled his wife for about 30 seconds in Hobart in July 2013, but at Newnham on February 11, 2014, he attempted to murder her. Mr Singh has pleaded not guilty to attempted murder. Ms Hartnett said the couple met through an Indian matrimonial website in 2011 when the woman was in India and the accused was in Canberra. She said they first met in person on July 19, 2011, and married on the same day in India. Mr Singh returned to Australia alone and in September 2011 his wife started to live with him in Canberra, Ms Hartnett said. The prosecutor said the pair often argued and Mr Singh’s short temper showed, which included him yelling and throwing things, frightening his wife. She said financial pressures became a problem because Mr Singh wanted assets beyond their means, such as a car and a house in India. The prosecutor said the pair’s debts mounted up by early 2013 and the complainant was pressured into taking out at least two $40,000 loans. Ms Hartnett said the house in India was bought in the complainant’s name and this upset Mr Singh, eventually leading him to drag her from a bed and strangle her in July 2013. Mr Singh also smashed a mobile phone and later apologised, his wife forgiving him, the prosecutor said. She said the complainant started living in Launceston in January 2014 and Mr Singh was staying in India, but he returned to Australia on February 7, 2014, four days before the allegations arose. Ms Hartnett said the accused’s anger about their finances culminated on February 11, 2014, when his wife awoke in bed to find him trying to murder her. However, she said Mr Singh devised a ‘‘ruse’’ to exculpate himself from what he had done before he called police, and claimed he was on a lot of medication and was defending himself against a killer. Defence counsel Joanne Gallagher declined to make an opening address. The trial, before Justice Robert Pearce, is expected to run until the end of next week.
A LAUNCESTON man got on top of his wife and used a serrated kitchen knife to cut her neck three times before he strangled her and tried to suffocate her in her own bed, the Supreme Court in Launceston has heard.
‘‘I think your death is coming ... I think you’re going to die,’’ Lokendra Singh, 30, told his wife earlier the same evening, according to the Crown.
‘‘Please save me, please come ... I’m dying, my throat is cut, please I beg of you,’’ a female voice pleaded during a triple-zero call to police, which was played to the jury on Wednesday.
Prosecutor Jackie Hartnett told jurors in her opening address that Mr Singh had previously strangled his wife for about 30 seconds in Hobart in July 2013, but at Newnham on February 11, 2014, he attempted to murder her.
Mr Singh has pleaded not guilty to attempted murder.
Ms Hartnett said the couple met through an Indian matrimonial website in 2011 when the woman was in India and the accused was in Canberra.
She said they first met in person on July 19, 2011, and married on the same day in India.
Mr Singh returned to Australia alone and in September 2011 his wife started to live with him in Canberra, Ms Hartnett said.
The prosecutor said the pair often argued and Mr Singh’s short temper showed, which included him yelling and throwing things, frightening his wife.
She said financial pressures became a problem because Mr Singh wanted assets beyond their means, such as a car and a house in India.
The prosecutor said the pair’s debts mounted up by early 2013 and the complainant was pressured into taking out at least two $40,000 loans.
Ms Hartnett said the house in India was bought in the complainant’s name and this upset Mr Singh, eventually leading him to drag her from a bed and strangle her in July 2013.
Mr Singh also smashed a mobile phone and later apologised, his wife forgiving him, the prosecutor said.
She said the complainant started living in Launceston in January 2014 and Mr Singh was staying in India, but he returned to Australia on February 7, 2014, four days before the allegations arose.
Ms Hartnett said the accused’s anger about their finances culminated on February 11, 2014, when his wife awoke in bed to find him trying to murder her.
However, she said Mr Singh devised a ‘‘ruse’’ to exculpate himself from what he had done before he called police, and claimed he was on a lot of medication and was defending himself against a killer.
Defence counsel Joanne Gallagher declined to make an opening address.
The trial, before Justice Robert Pearce, is expected to run until the end of next week.
