by Keith Hunt

A husband has been jailed for 11 years for plotting to have his mother-in-law killed and committing mortgage fraud.

Bhupinder Dhesi first asked private investigator Tony Gaskin if he could make an accident happen to his estranged wife Sanjeet or "make her go away".

But the 36-year-old failed businessman then turned his attention to his mum-in-law Parminder Kaur Sandhu, asking an undercover police officer to kill her for a fee of about £12,000.

Dhesi, of Lennox Road, Gravesend, admitted soliciting to murder, perverting the course of justice and three mortgage fraud offences involving £650,000.

Maidstone Crown Court heard Dhesi wanted Mrs Sandhu murdered because she was standing in the way of him getting his wife and two children back.

Passing sentence, Judge Jeremy Carey told him: "The facts reveal a very grave state of affairs. To say this was an extreme response is a substantial understatement."

"to say this was an extreme response is a substantial understatement" – judge jeremy carey

Deepak Kapur, prosecuting, said Dhesi contacted Mr Gaskin in September last year and asked to help him contact his wife.

He then asked the investigator if he could provide two witnesses to go to court to give false evidence in one of the fraud matters.

There was a history of domestic violence by Dhesi on his wife and she had moved back in with her parents. A non-molestation order banned him from contacting her.

After first telling Mr Gaskin he wanted Mrs Dhesi to have an accident he declared in a recorded conversation he wanted his mother-in-law "hurt".

When asked how badly, he replied: "Very, very, very." Asked if they were talking dead or alive, he responded: "The first one you said."

"He said it would affect the whole scenario to get his children back," said Mr Kapur. "He referred to the fact that Parminder Sandhu had a hold on the family."

Undercover officer "Steve" contacted Dhesi and was told he wanted to get a certain individual wiped out as she had taken his wife and babies away.

He showed the officer a picture of Mrs Sandhu on his mobile phone and said he wanted her "put away".

Steve asked: "Are we talking dead?" Dhesi said: "Yeah."

A fee of £10-12,000 was agreed, with a £1,000 deposit. But Dhesi cancelled the next meeting, saying he had not raised the £1,000.