Man in Australia buried former girlfriend alive in act of revenge, court hears

A man in Adelaide murdered his former girlfriend by burying her alive after she had rejected him, a court in Australia was told on Wednesday.

It was revealed during sentencing submissions to the South Australian Supreme Court that 21-year-old Tarikjot Singh killed 21-year-old nursing student Jasmeen Kaur after she was kidnapped from her workplace, an eldercare home in an Adelaide suburb, in March 2021.

She was buried in a shallow grave at Moralana Creek, some 400km north of the city.

Ms Kaur’s body was eventually found with her hands bound behind her back with a cable tie. Her feet were taped and cable-tied together.

The prosecutor told the court that Ms Kaur was buried while she was conscious.

She said: “(She) was actively breathing in and swallowing soil while she was alive... (The soil) made its way as far as her lower oesophagus.

“She had to have been aware in those moments of the hopelessness of her situation.”

The court also heard that Singh had planned the killing.

Singh was cautioned by the police in February 2021 after Ms Kaur had reported him for stalking her.

The day before the incident, he is said to have downloaded a map of security camera locations in Adelaide. He also bought cable ties and a shovel.

On the day of the kidnapping, on March 5, 2021, Singh swopped cars with his flatmate and used the vehicle to abduct Ms Kaur from her workplace.

Security footage showed Singh driving north on the evening of March 5, with no sign of Ms Kaur. The prosecution suggested she was either restrained in the back seat or in the boot.

Ms Kaur was buried that same night.

Singh is said to have disposed of Ms Kaur’s work identification, clothing and looped cable ties on his way back to Adelaide. He also removed his SIM card and put it into a different phone.

Singh was later questioned by the police about Ms Kaur’s disappearance.

He initially denied knowing about her whereabouts, but changed his story to say she had taken her own life and he had then buried her.

His lawyer said Singh had fallen apart after the breakdown of a relationship “that meant everything to him”.

The lawyer said his client still hears Ms Kaur’s voice and, following the murder, has experienced hallucinations.

Singh pleaded guilty to the murder in February and faces a mandatory life sentence. A non-parole period is set to be decided in August.