An obsessed and jealous man has been found guilty of murdering his ex-girlfriend in a "brutal and prolonged attack".
Rohit Deepak Singh, 42, was on trial in the High Court at Auckland for the murder of Arishma Singh (Chand) last November.
Jury find obsessed and jealous man guilty of murdering former lover
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Rohit Deepak Singh was on trial in the High Court at Auckland. Photo / Greg Bowker
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He will be sentenced on February 14.
The motive for the murder, Crown prosecutor Claire Robertson had told the court, was Rohit Singh's obsession and infatuation with Arishma, who did not want to continue a secret sexual relationship.
Arishma was a 24-year-old mum of one and was found dead in her Maich Rd house in Manurewa after her parents Rakesh and Aradhana Singh returned home during the early hours of November 12.
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Shortly after her death, the Herald revealed that Arishma, who was born and educated in Fiji, was at a friend's birthday party and was killed soon after returning to her home with her boyfriend.
Moments after her boyfriend left on that November night, Rohit Singh attacked.
It was a frenzied and brutal assault which took less than 16 minutes before Arishma's parents arrived home and found their dead daughter lying in a pool of blood.
She had been stabbed in the back, shoulder and arm, bashed across the back of her head with a weapon, and had her face slashed.
A wound to her groin also cut a vital artery.
The year before, Rohit Singh had been in a secret sexual relationship with Arishma - who worked as a child educator - which ended in August 2016, Robertson explained.
The Crown lawyer said the defendant was "obsessed and infatuated" with Arishma and "refused to accept she didn't want to be with him".
"It was this obsession which drove him to kill her," Robertson said.
Rohit Singh had also sent Arishma threatening Facebook messages, an inundation of daily calls and text messages and had tattooed her face on his chest.
A couple of days before Valentine's Day last year, Rohit Singh also took flowers to Arishma's house and sent her a series of texts.
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"I want to tell you something, every day I think about you, every day I talk to your photo...," one text read.
"Today I really miss you, all alone ... One day you will realise when you get to my age. What goes around comes around," another message said.
Rohit Singh had also told a friend of his plans to kill and sought "a large kitchen knife".
On the night of the murder he was watching Arishma's home from a car.
After sneaking into the home to commit the most heinous crime he fled and drove to the North Shore.
It was there he concocted his bogus alibi.
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At 10.18am, Rohit Singh called police and said he had been a victim of a robbery where three girls had stolen his car, taken his belongings and scratched his face.
He told police the robbery occurred at 1.30am.
What really occurred was Rohit Singh had dumped his clothes, the blooded knife and weapon he used to kill Arishma.
Rohit Singh also had scratch marks on his face, which he attributed to his fake mugging, however, police would later discover his DNA under Arishma's fingernails.
Cellphone polling data also placed him near Maich Rd at the time of the murder.
Where to get help
If you're in danger now:
• Phone the police on 111 or ask neighbours of friends to ring for you.
• Run outside and head for where there are other people.
• Scream for help so that your neighbours can hear you.
• Take the children with you.
• Don't stop to get anything else.
• If you are being abused, remember it's not your fault. Violence is never okay.
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Where to go for help or more information:
• Shine, free national helpline 9am- 11pm every day - 0508 744 633 www.2shine.org.nz
• Women's Refuge: Free national crisis line operates 24/7 - 0800 refuge or 0800 733 843 www.womensrefuge.org.nz
• Shakti: Providing specialist cultural services for African, Asian and middle eastern women and their children. Crisis line 24/7 0800 742 584
