32-year-old Parwinder Kaur died in a Sydney hospital on 3rd December 2013, a day after a neighbor heard her scream and saw Ms Kaur engulfed in fire, running down the driveway of her Rouse Hill home.
Her husband, 41-year-old Kulwinder Singh was accused of killing her. Mr Singh maintained a not guilty plea.
After a two-month-long trial, and four days of deliberations, a jury told the NSW Supreme Court that it was unable to reach a verdict.
On Thursday, Justice Natalie Adams told the jury she would accept a majority verdict. But today, the judge discharged the jury after no further progress was made.
The court heard during the trial that Ms Kaur told a triple-zero operator that her husband had nearly killed her moments before she was seen with her body on fire on the driveway of the couple’s Rouse Hill home.
The Crown alleged that Mr Singh poured petrol on his wife of eight years and lit the fire.
Kulwinder Singh outside the court in Sydney on Friday. Source: SBS News
The court heard suggestions that Mr Singh was abusive to his wife and didn’t give her access to the wages she earned working at a mushroom farm.
Defence barrister Margaret Cunneen SC said Mr Singh had been upstairs packing his stuff as he was preparing to stay at his mother’s place but Ms Kaur believed he was leaving the marriage.
Ms Cunneen said Ms Kaur lit herself on fire to create drama.
“She didn't mean to harm herself. She meant to create this drama to change what was happening that day, to regain control," she said in her closing remarks.
A petrol can and lighter in the laundry of the couple’s house had Ms Kaur’s fingerprints. Mr Singh’s fingerprints weren’t found on them.
Ms Kaur, originally from a small village in Hoshiarpur district in Punjab, married Mr Singh in 2005 and moved to Sydney the next year.
The case will return to court on November 1.
