Husband jailed for Murdering Estranged Wife

Satpreet Singh Gandhi, aged 37, of Burley, Leeds, has received a life sentence for murdering his estranged wife at her home in the city.

On September 5, 2022, he armed himself with a knife and waited outside Harleen Kaur Satpreet Gandhi’s flat in Headingley.

He accused her of cheating on him and lashed out before attacking her with the weapon.

Officers attended the scene at 6:26 pm.

Harleen was found unconscious inside the property with significant blood loss and was taken to hospital for emergency treatment but was pronounced dead a short while later.

A post-mortem revealed she died as a result of a stab wound to the chest.

Armed officers were deployed to trace her estranged husband as a suspect. He was arrested later that evening at his home address.

A letter that was found at the address read:

“This is my revenge for the humiliation and disrespect.”

A murder investigation was launched.

The couple, both Indian nationals, had come to the UK as students at the end of March 2021. They separated approximately six months before the murder.

CCTV footage showed Gandhi buying the knife at an Asda store in Kirkstall Road, on August 28, 2022.

Additional footage showed him waiting across the road from his estranged wife’s address between 6:04 pm and 6:15 pm on September 5, with a backpack believed to contain the weapon.

The same camera showed Gandhi leaving the basement flat at 6:24 pm and running off.

Following the murder, people who knew Harleen disclosed a background of domestic violence and controlling behaviour by Gandhi, however, nothing had been reported to the police at the time.

Gandhi pleaded guilty to murder at an earlier hearing.

On January 10, 2023, at Leeds Crown Court, Gandhi was sentenced to life with a minimum of 23 years and four months.

Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Inspector Amanda Wimbles said:

“Harleen had come to the UK to study and was clearly someone who had plans and ambitions for her future when her life was cruelly cut short by her estranged husband’s murderous actions.

“She was living separately from him following an apparent background of domestic abuse and controlling behaviour by him and was attempting to move on with her life.

“It appears that he could not accept this and chose to take her life, as we sadly see too often in abusive relationships.”

“Harleen’s death in such sudden and tragic circumstances has left her family utterly devastated, and we hope they can find some degree of comfort from knowing he has now had to answer for his actions and has been given a life sentence.

“West Yorkshire Police is committed to working alongside our partner agencies to tackle violence against women and girls, particularly domestic abuse, and we continue to encourage victims or those who know about their situation to report it to us, either directly or to any of our partner agencies, including the National Domestic Abuse Helpline.”

Senior Crown Prosecutor Emma Covington, from the CPS, said: “The murder of Harleen Kaur Satpreet Gandhi was premeditated and horrific.

“Satpreet Singh Gandhi killed his wife because he could not control her and could not stand to watch her enjoy the life she had made for herself after moving to the UK.

“He has deprived two young children of their parents in the most traumatic way possible.

“The prosecution built a compelling case against Gandhi so that when faced with the overwhelming evidence against him, he pleaded guilty to the murder of his wife.

“Our thoughts remain with Harleen’s family and her children as Gandhi begins his life sentence.

“The CPS is committed to securing justice for victims of domestic abuse and will always seek to hold violent offenders to account for their crimes.”