West Bromwich murder suspect took out victim's life insurance, court told

Jagdev Singh Rai is accused of murdering Jasbir Singh Bains in Dartmouth Park, West Bromwich, where his body was discovered floating in a lake on November 28, 2012.

Victim Mr Bains moved to live with family in Canada years ago after falling on hard times and owed £14,000 to Rai at the time from a loan, the court heard.

Mr Peter Grieves-Smith, prosecuting, said Rai, of Salisbury Road, West Bromwich, used Bains's name and date of birth without his knowledge to set up a life insurance policy worth £318,913.

He also obtained a mortgage for a property on Coronation Road, Wednesbury, in the value of £56,703, using the same name. In the event of the death of Mr Bains, who was aged 41 and of no fixed address when he was found, it meant Rai stood to gain more than £375,000, including the value of the Wednesbury property, Wolverhampton Crown Court heard yesterday.

Mr Grieves-Smith said: "The defendant was not a rich man and could not afford to write-off that £14,000 debt.

"He told police he knew Mr Bains needed to get back on his feet, but he was to tell a witness he was unhappy about the debt and that he knew people who could sort Bains out."

Mr Grieves-Smith said the prosecution case was dependent on 'various strands of circumstantial evidence' – including the fact that Mr Bains, who was found with his throat slit, appeared not to have made any effort to defend himself from his killer. That was an indication it was someone he trusted, said Mr Grieves-Smith.

The court was told Rai, aged 44, had let Mr Bains to sleep in the white van he owned the night before he was found dead. When Mr Bains's body was found he still had around £22 on him – but the knife used to kill him and his mobile phone have never been found. A CCTV camera which overlooked the front drive of Rai's home had also been turned to the left hours before Mr

Bains was known to have begun to walk to Dartmouth Park, around 11.39pm on November 27.

Mr Grieves-Smith said that police searches of Rai's home had revealed documents showing he had changed his name legally to Jamie Rai in February 2003, then to the name of Mr Bains in June 2006.

A further false document suggested he wished to abandon the name of Mr Bains once more, and be known again as Jamie Rai. Rai denies murder. The trial continues.