‘Violent and jealous’ waiter jailed for ‘senseless’ killing
Plumber blamed for relationship break-up was stabbed to death
A JEALOUS and obsessive waiter from Hillingdon has been jailed for 26 years for murdering a man whom he blamed for the break-up of his relationship.
Gurav Sharma, 34, of Denzilo Avenue, stabbed 38-year-old plumber Mohammed Afzal from Southall twice in the chest on August 20 last year.
Sharma could not cope with being rejected by 21 year-old Kiranjeet Suman and blamed Mr Afzal for telling her he had a secret ex-wife and child, the Old Bailey was told.
Judge Wendy Joseph QC told Sharma that Mr Afzal was ‘a quite innocent party in all of this’.
She added: “Without any rational foundation for it, you came to believe that Mr Afzal was causing problems between you and her.
“There was absolutely no reason for thinking she was in a sexual relationship with him.
“In her distress she turned to Mohammed Afzal for help and advice, only because she believed he might have some influence over you and stop you being violent.
“You threatened to stab him to death. You arranged to confront each other. I am satisfied he was not armed. I have no doubt you armed yourself with a large kitchen knife.”
Sharma came to the UK from India several years ago and is believed to have indefinite leave to remain because of his marriage to a British citizen. He met Miss Suman while working in a tandoori restaurant in Hayes, west London.
She described their relationship as ‘intense’ and said he became increasingly jealous, violent and possessive.
Judge Joseph told Sharma: “You became obsessed with her, you demanded that she spend every evening with you.
“You became irrationally jealous if you thought she was receiving messages from other men even if they were family or old friends.”
When Mr Afzal saw Sharma throttling Miss Suman he told her to end the relationship and revealed that Sharma had a secret ex-wife and young daughter and was using heroin.
Sharma reacted to being dumped by shouting: “Who’s been spreading lies about me? I’m going to kill them.”
Prosecutor Mark Heywood QC told the court: “Sharma was for a long time unable to accept that his relationship with the young woman was at an end, even though it was principally because of his own behaviour and treatment of her.”
Mr Afzal, who lived in Delamere Road, Southall, suffered a punctured lung following a confrontation with Sharma at The Broadway in Southall and later died in hospital from internal bleeding.
Sharma was arrested the next day after police found him hiding under a bed at the home of his friend Jaswinder Singh, 30, who had been present at the time of the murder and was also jailed for three and a half years.
Det Insp Luke Marks said after the trial: “Mohamed Afzal was a hard working man who also had caring responsibility for his elderly father.
“His murder is an absolute tragedy and has brought untold grief to his family and friends.
“I hope this sentence brings Mr Afzal’s family justice for his senseless killing.
“I am pleased the jury were able to see the compelling evidence gathered to prove Gurav Sharma was guilty of the murder.” We have teamed up with Middlesex County Cricket Club to give away 3 pairs of tickets to Middlessex v Worcestershire on June 22, just go to