Court proceedings involving a man accused of threatening to kill a shop owner were halted last week when it transpired the defendant had been killed in a car crash.

Khawar Khatana, of Gal Close, Croydon, was due to attend South Western Magistrates’ Court on Friday to answer allegations that he threatened to kill a Tooting High Street shop owner on June 3, this year, and then threatened to kill a witness to the event.

However, the court was informed that Mr Khatana, 34, would not be appearing as he had recently been killed in a road traffic accident.