Police examinations at home where Wolverhampton woman was killed revealed it wasn't a 'genuine burglary' - court told
Police examinations into an alleged burglary of a Wolverhampton home where a woman was killed revealed the claimed break-in wasn't genuine, a jury was told.
Birmingham Crown Court heard how items had been thrown on the floor in rooms of Gurpreet Singh and wife Sarbjit Kaur's home on Rookery Lane.
Checks were carried out on the house after the death of Mrs Kaur, aged 38, who was killed on February 16, 2018, into an alleged burglary at the property.
Prosecutors allege 45-year-old Singh, who denies murder, had staged a fake burglary to cover up his wife's murder before he left for work.
The case so far:
Joanne Ward, a crime scene coordinator for West Midlands Police, said windows and doors were examined to see whether anyone had entered, the court heard.
Ms Ward, in a statement read out by prosecutor Mr David Mason QC, said she went around all of the rooms in the home – with the children's bedroom the only one left undisturbed, a court was told.
Other rooms had items thrown on the floor, with two small windows found to be "insecure" – unlocked but closed – which nobody gained access through, Ms Ward said.
A door which led to Mrs Kaur's workshop, where she worked as a seamstress, had also been left insecure, with the door being locked but the key inside the door from the inside, she said.
The expert, who has more than 20 years experience, felt it "did not look like a genuine burglary" – with one red flag being Mrs Kaur's Mercedes still being on the driveway, despite the keys being inside the home.
There was no evidence anyone had tried to enter the property, or forced entry, due to no damage on the doors or windows, she told the court.
Mr Orlando Pownall QC, defending Singh, alleged Ms Ward had referred to a visual examination being carried out and not a physical one and had made other "fundamental" errors.
The case continues.
