Milton Keynes murder: Anil Gill jailed for stabbing Ranjit Gill

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Ranjit GillImage source, Thames Valley Police
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Ranjit Gill's family described her as "an angel" and "a beautiful soul"

A "dominating and bullying" husband who murdered his wife by stabbing her 18 times has been jailed for a minimum of 22 years.

Ranjit Gill's body was found wrapped in a duvet and black bin liners at the home she shared with Anil Gill in Milton Keynes, on 31 January.

Luton Crown Court heard Gill stabbed his wife after a night of drinking and taking cocaine.

He has been given a life sentence after being found guilty of murder on Friday.

Gill admitted a lesser charge of manslaughter, but a jury convicted of him of murder after rejecting his claims that he had lost self-control and acted in a frenzy after his wife made comments about an affair she had had.

Image source, Thames Valley Police
Image caption,

Anil Gill murdered his wife Ranjit Gill in what Judge Mark Bishop described as a "prolonged and ferocious attack"

Judge Mark Bishop described the murder as "a ruthless, cold blooded attack".

"It was a furious and savage attack with a knife, inflicting 18 wounds - some of great depth. The last wound was to cut her throat," he said.

Prosecutors said Mr Gill had been "dominating" and a "bully" towards his wife in the years before her killing.

Charles Ward-Jackson, prosecuting counsel, told the jury about incidents when the defendant had hit his wife across the back with a plank, threatened her with a knife and pushed her down the stairs, threatened her with a sword, and held a knife to her neck.

The court heard in October 2018 that police attended their home after reports of a domestic incident, but Mrs Gill would not tell officers what happened.

The jury was told Ms Gill's sister advised her to leave her husband, but the 43-year-old said she feared "he would hunt her down and kill her".

Prosecutors said the killing happened in the early hours, but Mr Gill did not call the police until about 10:00 GMT.

Image source, South Beds News Agency
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A neighbour said she heard the sound of a woman screaming followed by a "thumping or pounding sound", the court heard

In a tribute to Ms Gill, her sister Tejinder McCann said: "My baby sister was taken away from me by a man who was supposed to have cared and loved her in sickness and health."

Ms Gill's niece, Monica Aujla, said: "She was violently killed by the hands of someone who was supposed to love and protect her endlessly and for us the grieving process is so much worse."

The family described her as "a beautiful soul".

Ms Gill's sister Kamel Aujla urged anyone in an abusive relationship to "please leave, please get help".

"Don't become a statistic like my sister," she said.

Image source, Facebook
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Mrs Gill's family said her murder had "ripped our souls apart"

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