A “Hard-working” Hayes man was murdered after disapproving of a relationship with a mutual female friend.

Gurav Sharma, 34, stabbed Mohamed Afzal in the chest, 38, then confessed the murder to the woman hours after.

Sharma was then found hiding under a bed by police in a house in Southall.

Homeless Sharma was handed a life sentence with a minimum of 26 years at the Old Bailey on Friday (22 May).

A row broke out between Sharma and Mr Afzal in The Broadway, Southall at around 8pm on 20 August last year.

CCTV footage shows two men, Sharma and Jaswinder Singh, 30, who was also arrested on suspicion of murder, approaching Mr Afzal.

In the footage, Sharma was seen to have a knife in his right hand and Singh is captured walking into a nearby shop as the row broke out.

Witnesses then saw Sharma arguing with Mr Afzal before stabbing him in the chest.

'Disapproval'

It transpired that Mr Afzal disapproved of a relationship Sharma had with a woman who they both knew, according to a Metropolitan Police press statement.

Police and London Ambulance Service were called to the scene on 20 August and Mr Afzal was taken to St Mary's Hospital.

He was pronounced dead just before midnight on the same day.

Both Sharma and Singh admitted their involvement to the woman after the murder.

Sharma confessed to stabbing Mr Afzal and Singh told her he was at the scene.

The pair were arrested together, on suspicion of murder, in a property in Saxon Road, Southall, where Sharma was found hiding underneath Singh's bed.

Singh made no attempt to tell police where Sharma was or what had happened.

They were taken to a west London police station and Homicide and Major Crime Command (HMCC) Detectives then launched an investigation.

Three people were arrested on 21 August after police searched four addresses in and around Southall.

Uxbridge Mortuary gave the cause of death as stab wounds to the chest after a post-mortem examination on Friday, 22 August.

DI Luke Marks, of the HMCC, spoke of Mr Afzal, who lived on Delamere Road, Hayes.

He said: "Mohamed Afzal was a hard working man who also had caring responsibility for his elderly father. His murder is an absolute tragedy and has brought untold grief to his family and friends.

"I hope this sentence brings Mr Afzal's family justice for his senseless killing. I am pleased the jury were able to see the compelling evidence gathered to prove Gurav Sharma was guilty of the murder.”

Singh pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice at the Old Bailey at an earlier hearing and was remanded to be sentenced after Sharma's trial.

Sharma was given a life sentence and with a minimum of 26 years. Singh was jailed for three and half years.

They were both jailed at the Old Bailey on Friday, 22 May.

The third man who was arrested on suspicion of murder was later released with no further action.