Control, Divorce and Murder: Inside a Deadly Case

A husband was convicted of murdering his wife after strangling and stabbing her at their home in Oldbury following her decision to begin divorce proceedings.

Harminder Mattu was convicted of murdering his wife, Paramjit Kaur, following a trial at Wolverhampton Crown Court.

The killing took place at their home on Swan Crescent at around 11 pm on March 30, 2025.

Mattu attended West Bromwich Police Station at 8 am the following morning and reported that he had killed the 46-year-old.

Officers attended the address soon after and found Paramjit’s body inside the property.

He initially told police that his wife had been drunk, had assaulted him and had armed herself with a knife. He claimed he disarmed her during a struggle before stabbing her.

However, forensic evidence contradicted this account.

A postmortem examination established that Paramjit died due to sustained pressure on her neck. The stab wounds were not the cause of death and were likely inflicted after she had lost consciousness.

The evidence undermined his claim of self-defence. The sequence of injuries instead pointed to a deliberate and sustained attack rather than a reactive confrontation.

History of Abuse and Relationship Breakdown

Prosecutors argued the killing formed part of a wider pattern of domestic abuse, triggered by Paramjit’s decision to leave the marriage.

Prosecutor Jonathon Barker said: “On one view of the evidence, it appears his life was crumbling around him.

“It appears he was consumed by the prospect of divorce and the effects that that would have on him and how he would be perceived.

“The prosecution’s case is that the defendant had used violence against Ms Kaur before but there was a difference between these occasions and what occurred in March [2025] because we know that these occasions occurred before Ms Kaur had filed for divorce.

“By March 30, things were fundamentally different and whether he was prepared to accept this or not, the reality was he had lost her and their marriage was over.

“He was absorbed in self-pity.”

Evidence presented during the trial revealed a history of prior abuse.

In December 2024, Mattu had slapped Paramjit, twisted her leg and broken her phone while intoxicated. She chose not to pursue criminal charges at the time.

A further unreported incident saw him grab her by the throat, causing her to briefly lose consciousness.

Paramjit later confided in others about the assaults, indicating a pattern of violence that had not been formally reported to authorities.

The timeline showed escalation following her decision to end the marriage. Paramjit filed for divorce around two months before her death, stating that their 10-year marriage had irretrievably broken down.

At the end of 2024, she briefly left the marital home. She later returned after Mattu expressed suicidal feelings, a dynamic often associated with emotional manipulation or control in domestic abuse cases.

Verdict and Wider Context

Detective Sergeant Paul Parham said: “It appeared Mattu was trying to punish his wife for wanting to leave him.

“He strangled Paramjit and then used a knife on her, so was clearly intent on causing serious harm.

“It wasn’t self-defence, but the selfish actions of a man who didn’t want his marriage to end. Instead, he robbed Paramjit of the new future she was looking for.

“She tragically lost her life, and our thoughts remain with her loved ones.”

The concept of “separation violence” is well established in domestic homicide cases. The period when a victim attempts to leave an abusive partner is recognised as one of the highest-risk times for lethal violence.

In this case, Paramjit’s decision to file for divorce marked a shift in the balance of control within the relationship. A pattern of prior abuse and coercion escalated into fatal violence once the relationship’s end became unavoidable.

The jury ultimately rejected Mattu’s claim of self-defence. He was found guilty of murder and is due to be sentenced on April 2, 2026.

In a statement, Paramjit’s family said: “We feel a huge loss to our family, my sister was a loving and active member of our family who cared for and looked out for us all.”

The case highlights the consequences of unchecked domestic abuse and the importance of recognising warning signs during periods of separation.

Paramjit’s death reflects a broader pattern seen in domestic homicide cases, where attempts to leave abusive relationships can act as a trigger for lethal outcomes.