A MURDER trial has heard how frightened members of an Oldbury family had to lock themselves in rooms when the accused had violent rages - with him threatening to 'cut them up.'

Anmol Chana is accused of the murder of his mum Jasbir Kaur, 52, and her husband Rupinder Singh Bassan, 51, at their home in Moat Road, Oldbury.

The 25-year-old's sister Kiran Chana told the court her brother blamed their mother for moving from their hometown of Corby, Northants., to live in Oldbury.

She told the jury: “If he was in a bad mood he would be verbally aggressive and sometimes physically aggressive.”

Ms Chana said their mother and her husband were forced to lock themselves in their bedroom when her brother flew into a rage.

She said: “He threatened us quite a few times with knives. He would play with knives sometimes. It was this bizarre fascination he had with them.

“During a trip to London he mentioned that he could cut us up and get away with it. It was the same threat he used years ago.

“It was a summary of what he said.

“I said it was unlikely he would get away with murder.”

She said police were called “quite a few times,” adding: “Two or three times we locked ourselves in our room. He just wasn’t calming down.”

Explaining that no charges were ever brought against Chana, she said: “She [my mother] would say ‘He’s my son. How can I press charges against my own son?”

The court heard Chana went to live with his biological father in 2013 but later returned to live with his mother and step-father.

Ms Chana said: “When she met Rupinder she knew that was the one. He was a nice, decent guy.

“He was brilliant. Way more of a father figure than my biological dad. He didn’t once disrespect me or my mum or my brother.

“We always talked about everything. There were never any issues because we sat down and talked about it. He was great.

“There were always a lot of conversations about how to help my brother. Whether we should spend more time with him.

“Whether more time with family would help him. Trying to get him into a job again.”

Dudley News:

The court heard that days before the couple were killed, Chana had arranged to stay at their new home in Moat Road, Oldbury, and was due to move in full-time the next week.

She said her mother was concerned about Chana’s mental health and she had warned her “to be careful with him about”.

She said: “She was frustrated. She was worried he didn’t have anyone to socialise with and be friends with.

“He was sitting at home and spending his time doing absolutely nothing.

"She was worried about the effects on his mental health.”

The trial of Chana, of Hamilton Road, Smethwick, continues at Birmingham Crown Court.