Indian-origin man pleads guilty to murdering estranged wife

Wellington, May 2 (IANS) An Indian-origin man in New Zealand Friday pleaded guilty to murdering his wife, who had a protection order against him, media reported.

Rajeshwar Singh, 47, appeared in the high court in Wellington and pleaded guilty to a murder charge and two charges of breaching a protection order.

Rajeshwar, a taxi driver, fell out with his wife of more than 20 years, Sarwan Lata Singh, 38, after their toddler died in 2011.

The accused had appeared in court in Oct 28 last year for breaching a protection order.

But Rajeshwar, who is of Fijian nationality, continued to threaten and follow his wife "to the point she slept with a knife under her pillow and meat cleaver under her bed", Newstalk ZB reported.

In the early hours of Nov 26, he entered her house and stabbed her to death.

The victim dialled 111 "and the operator could hear her screams become weaker, as Singh stabbed her to death".

Thereafter he tried to hang himself in the garage, but police got to the spot before he died.

Rajeshwar was Friday remanded in custody till his sentencing June 5.

The couple had married in Fiji and came to New Zealand in 1998, according to Fairfax News NZ. The victim had worked at a supermarket in the suburb of Johnsonville in Wellington