A businessman turned a flat into ‘the Carol Vorder

A businessman turned a flat into ‘the Carol Vorderman makeover from hell’ to murder a star teenage promoter he owed pnds stnlg 100,000, the Old Bailey heard.

Planning to batter Ravi Gehlot to death with a hammer, Soleman Junglee covered the walls and floor of a empty flat with newspaper.

After luring the 18-year-old Ministry of Sound promoter inside, Junglee, 25, lashed out with the hammer and tried to throttle the youngster.

But Mr Gehlot managed to escape and flag down a police car with blood streaming from head wounds.

Prosecutor Sally Howes said when Mr Ghelot stepped inside the room he could see nothing but newspaper covering the floor and walls.

‘It must have appeared to Mr Gehlot to be the Carol Vorderman makeover from hell,’ she told the jury.

‘It was made up as a DIY death chamber.

‘

The court heard Mr Gehlot lived in Reading and began in the music business aged 12 when he started setting up parties for teenagers.

‘He soon realised he was rather good at it and he could make money out of it.

By the age of 15 he had set up his own company,’ said Miss Howes.

Shortly before the attack in March this year his company VR5 Teenage Parties had been asked to run under 18 nights for London’s legendary Ministry of Sound club.

The court heard he met Junglee when they both were involved in managing club nights at the Gas Club in Cyprus’s top rave resort Aya Napa.

The teenager was to manage Tuesday and Friday nights while Junglee had responsibility for Thursdays.

But while the youngster did well, Junglee’s promotions were a disaster, Miss Howes said.

‘The season went very well and was very successful for Ravi Gehlot Tuesday and Fridays but not so for Mr Junglee’s Thursday nights,’ she explained.

‘By the end of the season when it came to going home to England having completed their contract, Mr Junglee had been bailed out by Ravi Gehlot to the tune of about pnds stlg 10,000.

‘But it didn’t ended there.

After their return Ravi Gehlot continued to pay over vast sums of cash to the defendant and his business partner.

‘

By the time of the alleged attack on March 2001 Junglee owed the teenager pnds stlg 100,000, the court heard.

Over the following weeks Junglee repeatedly broke promises to pay the money and then would vanish.

He then arranged a meeting to pay back pnds stlg 20,000 and told Mr Gehlot to come to his home in Friern Barnet, Middlesex, the jury heard

There he was given pnds stlg 20 for a taxi fare by Mr Junglee’s flatmate and instructed to go to a flat in Orchardson Street off the Edgeware Road in northwest London.

Thew flatmate told him not to tell anyone where he was going, Miss Howes told the jury.

Junglee let him into the building and led him upstairs into the flat where music was blaring from a radio.

‘A few seconds after entering the flat Mr Gehlot felt a blow to the back of his head,’ Miss Howes said.

She added: ‘He then turned and saw the defendant holding a hammer above his head, preparing to strike him again.

‘

Junglee hit him over above the cheek as the teenager managed to grab the weapon causing the defendant to lose his grip.

The would-be murderer then grabbed him by the windpipe, Miss Howes said.

‘Mr Gehlot said it was almost as if he was trying to rip his windpipe out.

‘

In desperation the teenager shouted: ‘Please don’t kill me.

I will take my family and go away.

I don’t want my money.

‘

He pleaded: ‘Why are you doing this to me.

I have done so much for you.

‘

Junglee was said to have replied: ‘You think I don’t know that? I want my life back.

‘

It was at this point Mr Gehlot saw the newspaper spread over the walls and floor.

‘He was later to tell police: ‘I saw paper on top of paper on top of paper.

‘I cannot remember seeing anything else in that room.

I knew he was going to kill me.

Mr Gehlot managed to run down the stairs into the street and dashed to the police car shouting: ‘I have got to get in.

He’s trying to kill me.

‘

He was taken to hospital to be treated to cut to the head and bruises to the throat.

Police officers later saw Junglee leaving the flat, sweating and carrying a holdall containing a
blood stained hammer and a hacksaw

In the flat police found a ‘murder kit’ including a stanley knife, heavy duty rubber sacks, mop heads, and cleaning fluids,’ Miss Howes said.

‘Clearly Mr Gehlot was he was never meant to see the light of day again,’ she told he jury.

Junglee, of (11) Highgrove House, Friern Barnet, Middlesex, denies attempted murder.

The trial continues.

ends

addchamber.