Murdered Aldershot ex-Gurkha 'was strangled'

Man Limbu, 75, was strangled for a "sustained period" of time, the court heard

A former Gurkha was strangled to death by a woman who then went to his home and fought for nearly five hours with his wife, a court has heard.

Man Limbu, 75, was found dead at the home of Sun Maya Tamang, 50, in Victoria Road, Aldershot, on 10 March.

His wife Gayatri told Winchester Crown Court she thought she was going to die during their struggle later that day.

Ms Tamang denies murdering Mr Limbu, falsely imprisoning his wife and causing her actual bodily harm.

Mr Limbu's body was found in a ground floor flat off Victoria Road

Stephen Harvey, prosecuting, said Mr Limbu was found lying on the kitchen floor by Ms Tamang's son and daughter.

A note near his body read: "This person came to the door, knocked on the door and this person attacked me. And then I retaliated.

"My children are not to be blamed."

The court heard the relationship between the pair, both Nepalese, was unclear although Mr Limbu had phoned her several times in the days before his death.

'Definitely dead'

After strangling Mr Limbu for a "sustained period", Ms Tamang took a large traditional khukuri knife and a rolling pin to Mr Limbu's home in The Grove, Mr Harvey said.

She used his keys to let herself in and waited for Mrs Limbu to arrive before attacking her.

Mrs Limbu, 48, told the court the pair struggled for five hours before Ms Tamang grew tired.

She said: "She was throttling my neck and pulling my hair, saying 'I'll kill you, I'll kill you'.

"At the time, I thought I was definitely dead."

Mrs Limbu said the defendant threatened her with the knife, hit her with the rolling pin and assaulted her by biting her face.

The imprisonment ended when police arrived to deliver the news of Mr Limbu's death, Mr Harvey said.

The trial continues.