A HAMPSHIRE mum broke down in court as she described the day she bludgeoned her mother-in-law to death with a rolling pin.

Rajvinder Kaur sobbed uncontrollably as she was being crossexamined over the death of 56- year-old Baljit Kaur Buttar, who had been staying with the family in Southampton for six months.

The 37-year-old admits killing her mother-in-law but denies murder claiming it was manslaughter as she had been provoked in to her actions through unkindness, threats and name calling.

At one point the 37-year-old clasped her hands together as she faced the jury at Winchester Crown Court, saying through an interpreter: “I plead with you, I have made a big mistake.”

Kaur told the court how she thought Mrs Buttar had fallen while taking a shower on the morning of February 25 last year and walked in to check on her.

At this point, she said, Mrs Buttar “swore” about her parents before lashing out with a broom handle.

Kaur told the court how “it all happened when I lost lost my temper”.

She went on: “I was afraid that she was going to hit me more and carry on being violent to me.

“I don’t know where the blows landed – I was angry, I don’t know.”

During cross-examination, prosecutor Bill Mousley QC said to the mum-of-two: “You are being as vague as you can. You knew that by taking the rolling pin into the bathroom suggests that you had a violent intent.”

Through tears, Kaur replied: “I had no intention of the sort. I had never even talked back to her.”

The court had already heard how the grandmother, who was due to return to India two days after her death, suffered multiple head, neck and body injuries in the violent and sustained attack.

Afterwards, the jury was told, Kaur washed the rolling pin and items of her own clothing before emergency services arrived on the scene.

She told jurors: “I just realised I was thinking ‘what’s going to happen now?’ I was not even thinking about the fact that I would have to go to court or that the police would come or that I would go to prison.”

The court heard how there had been “tension” between her and Mrs Buttar who, she said, had insulted her parents and accused her of being “idle” around the family home.

Some of the insults, Kaur said, would score “ten out of ten” in terms of how offensive they were.

Again weeping uncontrollably, she said: “She was going to go back after two days and I always think about this.

“Just for the sake of two days I have ruined my life and the life of my children.”

Earlier in the case, Mr Mousley said Kaur had originally pleaded not guilty to murder in court and a trial date was set in October 2011.

The first trial almost reached the end of the prosecution’s case when “it was indicated on her behalf that she was changing her story and admitting the killing.”

Mr Mousley said the trial was stopped so expert psychiatric opinion could be sought.

As she came to the end of her cross-examination yesterday, Kaur added: “I have not felt sorry for myself, I know that I have done something very wrong. I have not taken any medication. I am not going to forgive myself.”

Proceeding.