Secret of Surjit daughter’s new hope for family
How family wounds were healed by new arrival signalling a fresh start after 18 years
The family of Surjit Singh Chhokar have revealed they were given new hope with the arrival of the murdered waiter’s grandchild.
Baby O’Hara was born on the day murderer Ronnie Coulter’s trial ended, leading to closure after an 18-year fight for justice. Manjit Sangha fought back tears as she revealed how her brother’s death ripped the devastated family apart.
But Manjit revealed that as the jury at the High Court in Glasgow considered their verd ict on September 30, Honey was giving birth to her murdered dad’s first granddaughter O’Hara Khivi Surjit Melendez.
The new arrival made his mother Gurdev, 73, a greatgran and meant Surjit – whose name the baby took in his memory – would have been a grandad.
Manjit said: “We’re overjoyed t ha t Honey has g iven birth to a beautiful little girl.
“But the joy is tainted with some sadnes s because Surjit would’ve been so proud of her.
“Honey couldn’t come to the trial because she was pregnant but we kept her and her sister Aman informed.
“They are, like us, very grateful for the conclusion.”
Manjit revealed how Honey was the first member of the family she saw on the night Coulter murdered Sur jit . Honey was just 12 and Aman was two.
The 55- year- old relived how Surjit’s devastated wife Sanehdeep took Honey and Aman to start a new life in Canada after Coulter stabbed him to death in 1998.
Although the family understood her decision, the move shattered
them as they tried to come to terms with Surjit’s violent death.
Manjit said: “Sanehdeep felt she had to leave left Scotland, so Surjit’s death literally tore our family apart.
“She just couldn’t face staying here and wanted to be with her family in Canada.”
Coulter, 48, was last week f inally convicted of murdering Surjit, 32, outside his home in Over town, Lanarkshi re, in November 1998.
Two previous hearings over the death had resulted in acquittals.
The outcome of those trials, in 1999 and 2000, sent shockwaves around Scotland and left the family’s confidence in the justice system in tatters.
Speaking to the Sunday Mail after Wednesday’s verdict, Surjit’s mum Gurdev and Manjit revealed the toll their battle for justice had taken on the family.
Gurdev fought back tears as she revealed the significance of Coulter being led away by the same hand he’d used to stab her son.
She said: “There’s no happiness for us but we’re relieved at the verdict.
“We hoped for the best but were prepared for the worst.
“When they said to Coulter to bring his hand out for the handcuffs, it seemed like the end. It was such a relief. He was getting a handcuff put on the hand which he used to murder my son.
“I miss my boy. I think about him every day.
“I have a photo by my bed and I touch it and give him a little kiss when I wake up. It’s difficult to explain to people how it feels unless they’ve experienced something like this themselves.
“But we can have some kind of peace now.”
Manjit added that her mum and dad Darshan, who passed away aged 73 in October fol lowing a batt le with cancer, d idn’t want another trial when the possibility was first raised in 2012 after double jeopardy rules were changed.
She said: “We’ve heard this word ‘ justice’ all these years and to finally have it is difficult to take in. It’s a bit unreal . It feels l ike a huge weight being taken off your shoulders.”
Surjit, whose family ran a shop in Law, Lanarkshire, was set upon by three men as he headed to his gi rl friend’s home with a takeaway meal.
Ronnie Coulter attacked him with his nephew Andrew Coulter and David Montgomery.
The three had targeted Surjit because they had stolen his £100 Giro. A change to Scotland’s double jeopardy law allowed the Crown Office to launch a new probe in January 2013 that led to Ronnie Coulter’s conviction. After his first acquittal for Surjit’s murder in 1999,
Andrew Coulter stood trial for the murder alongside Montgomery in 2000.
But they were also acquitted after blaming it on Ronnie Coulter.
Both Andrew Coulter and Montgomery were allowed out on bail before their case.
It left Andrew Coulter free to stab Pat Kelly, 26, to death in a close in Wishaw in 1999.
He was jailed for six years for culpable homicide.
The Chhokar family moved to Glasgow from Lanarkshire after the murder. The Sunday Mai l revealed in 2012 that Ronnie Coulter was to be re-indicted for the murder after new witness evidence was gleaned by police reinvestigating the case.
Gurdev, Manjit and her children were in court every day for the four-week trial last month.
Coulter will be sentenced on October 31.
Manjit said: “The trial was in the same court, the old North Court at Glasgow High Court, as it was in 2000.
“Ronnie Coulter still has his fami ly – all we have is our photographs and memories. It has been long time, 18 years is such a long time. We would like to thank the jury for giving the case such careful consideration.
“We will find out in due course what sentence he gets – but it doesn’t bring Surjit back.”
Mum- of- four Manjit a lso told how her youngest son is now an officer with Police Scotland after joining the force because of the impact his uncle’s death had on the family.
But she says the authorities failed to take care of the family after her sibling’s death.
She said: “He experienced what we’ve all experienced and decided that joining the police would be a way to try to make a difference. He enjoys his work and we’re very proud of him. “Our dad was very proud of him. “We’re in no doubt there was a racist element to the murder and we were always greatly upset at the inference that we were somehow outsiders.
“We love staying in Scotland – and the vast majority of the people of have been so very supportive towards us.
“But the authorities treated us with great disrepect after my brother was murdered.
“This time, we have nothing but thanks for the way the Crown Office and the police have been.
“We have never asked for, or wanted, specia l treatment – just a bit of justice and thankfully we now have it.”
The family and their solicitor, who they say they owe a great debt for his support over the years, told how they will now look to have a plinth erected at a bust of Surjit which sits in Kelvingrove Museum.
The memorial currently bears only Surjit’s name.
Aamer Anwar said: “Since the verdict, people have kindly placed flowers as a mark of respect.
“The final steps as we all look forward will be to have a proper plinth put on it to explain who it is – and what happened.”
The verdict feels like a huge weight has been taken off of your shoulders