An east Auckland man who stabbed a woman to death will serve more than a decade behind bars for the crime.
East Tamaki resident Kanwarpal Singh appeared for sentencing before Justice David Johnstone in the Auckland High Court on August 2 after pleading guilty of the murder of Farzana Yaqubi.
The judge sentenced Singh to life imprisonment with a minimum non-parole period of 17 years.
An agreed summary of facts in the case released to the Times shows Yaqubi contacted police with concerns about Singh’s “harassing” behaviour on multiple occasions prior to her death.
The killer and his victim knew each other, the court document states.
Singh, 30, was working as a security guard on Queen Street in Auckland CBD in September, 2020.
Yaqubi, 21, was a student at Auckland University of Technology.
When she passed Singh’s workplace, he struck up a conversation with her and invited her on a coffee date.
Following this he began to continuously message Yaqubi via social media.
“As a result, she blocked Singh on her social media accounts,” the court document states.
“In 2021 and 2022, Singh created multiple new social media accounts and contacted Ms Yaqubi on these.
“Singh began threatening Ms Yaqubi via these accounts.
“In one message, he threatened to kidnap Ms Yaqubi, saying ‘if u don’t wanna say anything I will kidnap u n give u 365 days to fall in love with me’.
“In another message, he threatened to throw acid on Ms Yaqubi’s face.”
Singh added Yaqubi’s family members and friends on social media in an attempt to contact her.
On October 25 last year she made an online report to police, complaining about his “harassing” behaviour.
One day in early December, Yaqubi noticed Singh following her at an Auckland shopping centre and approached a security officer for assistance.
Singh used social media the next day to send her a video taken outside her home address.
Fearing for her safety, she went to a police station in west Auckland and made a statement about his “stalking” behaviour.
On December 7, Singh arranged for a pizza to be delivered to Yaqubi’s home address.
Twelve days later, on December 19, Yaquibi finished work and caught a bus to the west Auckland suburb of Royal Heights.
She got off the bus and entered an alleyway beside Waitakere Badminton Centre, the court document states.
“Singh was waiting in his Toyota vehicle … parked in the rear carpark of the Waitakere Badminton Centre.
“Singh saw Ms Yaqubi walking in the alleyway and approached her with a large knife in his hand.”
She tried to phone police as Singh approached her.
He stabbed her multiple times in the stomach and chest with the knife.
As Yaqubi fell to the ground screaming, Singh stood over her and continued stabbing her.
When people approached the scene, he went down the alleyway, jumped a fence, and fled in his vehicle.
Yaqubi was tragically pronounced dead at the scene.
She’d received 12 stab wounds as well as defensive injuries including a partly severed thumb.
Four of the stab wounds would have been individually fatal.
Police arrested Singh at his home the following day and he admitted to stabbing Yaqubi.
He was set to go on trial in May 2024 but pleaded guilty to murder in April.
Yaqubi’s father had moved to New Zealand as a refugee from Afghanistan.
The police’s response to her complaints about Singh’s “harassing” behaviour is the subject of an ongoing Independent Police Conduct Authority investigation.
Acting Detective Inspector Tim Williams of Waitemata Police’s criminal investigation branch says his thoughts are with Yaqubi’s family and loved ones “with the tragic loss they have experienced”.
“Singh was arrested on December 20, one day after Farzana was found dead near the Waitakere Badminton Centre.
“While nothing can bring her back, the guilty plea in this case will spare the family this matter going to a jury trial.
“Police continue to support Farzana’s family as they move forward with their lives.”
Williams says in the early stages of the police investigation, officers became aware of recent contact Yaqubi previously had with police regarding Singh.
“In late October 2022, Farzana filed an online report with police regarding harassing behaviour she had experienced.
“Farzana was advised to attend a police station to provide further information so the matter could be considered for further action, which was carried out in early December 2022.
“Police were in the process of progressing this matter further when Farzana was senselessly murdered.
“Police self-referred this matter in December 2022 to the Independent Police Conduct Authority to explore whether there could have been improvements in the police response.
“Police will await the findings of this independent review so that any findings can be considered further.”
