Beckton man cleared of of trying to kill brother

A former oil worker has been cleared of trying to hire a hitman to assassinate his younger brother.

Ashok Barnet, 53, was accused of offering a former colleague �40,000 to murder Joshi Rajapran

It was claimed he had convinced himself his sibling was responsible for the death of their mother and poisoning their sister who died of cancer.

But a jury at Inner London Crown Court cleared him of a single charge of soliciting murder. He claimed the allegations had been made up to make it seem as if he was suffering from a mental illness. Barnet was said to have visited former colleague Krishnan Pillai is July 2011 to arrange the killing.

He had already bought a gun but had been provided with the wrong bullet, jurors heard.

The court was told he had a troubled relationship with his brother, who he had not seen their sister’s funeral in 2008. Barnet, of Oakley Close, Beckton, denied a single count of soliciting murder and was found not guilty.