Sikh daughter's 'life threatened'

Kalwinder Dosanjh denies three charges of soliciting murder

A 22-year-old Sikh woman and her Jewish boyfriend were the victims of violent threats after they ran off to live with each other, the Old Bailey has heard.

Sanjit Dosanjh considered moving to Israel because of the threats against her and Temple Jazac, 43, it was told.

Her father, Kalwinder Dosanjh, 51, is accused of approaching a hitman to kill his daughter to restore family honour.

Mr Dosanjh, of Higham Road, Rochester, Kent, denies three charges of soliciting murder and firearms charges.

I felt my partner's life was in danger from Peter Hare Temple Jazac

In the ongoing case, the court heard how Sanjit changed her first name to Sunny, while Mr Jazac changed his surname to Defonda to avoid being tracked down.

It was told by Mr Jazac on Wednesday that after the couple moved to Sheffield in 2001 they received abusive telephone calls and threats from Sanjit's cousin, Peter Hare.

He said they returned to the family home in Kent to try to resolve the issue, but Mr Hare threatened to chop up his girlfriend and set fire to her.

He said eventually the family agreed that Sanjit should stay at home for a week, but if she still wanted to be with him they would sanction the couple's marriage.

Mr Jazac told the court: "I felt my partner's life was in danger from Peter Hare."

Internet chatline

He said at no stage did Mr Dosanjh, a devout Sikh, make threats to him.

The Old Bailey heard how the couple met through an internet chatline in December 2000, but Myrna Hollis QC, for the defence, said Mr Jazac was not honest with the details he first gave.

He said he was a 23-year-old trainee doctor, when in fact he was a 40-year-old builder.

During heated exchanges, Mr Jazac denied the defence's charge that his actions were sinister and said it was talking rubbish.

Undercover policeman

He also denied that he had intended to "prey on young girls from good families".

In earlier evidence, the Old Bailey was told the man approached by Mr Dosanjh to kill Sanjit was an undercover policeman.

He is alleged to have wanted to kill his daughter, her boyfriend, Temple Jazac, and Malcolm Calver, a man he mistook for Mr Jazac's father, on or before 26 September last year.

Giving evidence on Wednesday, Mr Calver told the court that he was completely oblivious to the plot to kill him and knew none of the people involved.

The trial continues.