Saju Chelavalel - live updates from court as killer is sentenced for triple Kettering murder

There’s a slight delay this morning - we’re now due to start at 10.30am.

We’re in position in court 3 and the case is listed to start at 10am.

The prosecutor in the hearing will be James Newton-Price and barrister George Carter-Stephenson will be representing Chelavalel.

High Court judge The Honourable Mr Justice Pepperall will decide Chelavalel’s sentence today. He has overseen a number of high profile hearings. Last month he was the judge in the case of a mother who was jailed for taking abortion pills after the legal limit.

The only sentence he can pass today is a life sentence, which is mandatory for those convicted of murder in the UK. The question will be the minimum term Chelavalel will have to serve in prison before he could be considered for parole - or whether a ‘whole life’ order could be made, which would mean he would never be released.

Earlier this year a remembrance ceremony was held at Kettering Park Infant Academy. Children were given a balloon - either pink, blue or silver - to represent Janvi, Jeeva and Anju - and pupils gathered outside to release the balloons as “Somewhere over the rainbow” played.

Anju Asok, 35, worked at Kettering General Hospital and moved to the UK from Kerala in India in 2021. The internationally-trained nurse predominantly worked on Barnwell B, one of the hospital’s orthopaedic wards. KGH chief executive Deborah Needham described her as a committed and compassionate staff nurse, who was loved and respected by her dear friends and colleagues.

Jeeva Saju, six, and his four-year-old sister, Janvi Saju, were pupils at nearby Kettering Park Infant Academy in Park Avenue having joined the school in 2022. Headteacher Sarah Powell paid tribute to them and said they were delightful and caring children who had many friends at the school.

Chelavalel, 52, sobbed into his hands when he pleaded guilty to three counts of murder at a hearing in April. The monster has been held in custody since his arrest on December 15.

The full facts of the case will be outlined by the prosecution today, but here’s a brief look back at what happened:

Police were called to Petherton Court at about 11.15am to reports that a woman and two children had suffered serious injuries. They forced entry to the flat and had to Taser Chelavalel, who was holding a knife. Officers went on to find the bodies of Anju, Jeeva and Janvi, with forensic post-mortem examinations revealing that all three died as a result of asphyxiation.

Good morning. Saju Chelavalel is due to be sentenced today for murdering his wife and two children at the flat they shared in Kettering. Northants Telegraph reporter Sam Wildman will be at Northampton Crown Court and we will be providing live updates from the courtroom, with the hearing set to last the full day.