Gang acted together to kill DPD driver in 'cold blood' jury told as they begin their deliberations
Two Black Country men accused of the murder of a DPD driver in Shrewsbury last year, acted with a gang of six others to brutally kill him in 'cold blood', a jury has been told as it retires to consider its verdict.
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In his closing remarks in the prosecution of Mehakdeep Singh, aged 24, and Sehajpal Singh, aged 26, both formerly of Shaw Road, Tipton, Mr Simon Dennison KC told the jury at Stafford Crown Court that both men were as guilty of the murder of Aurman Singh on August 21, 2023, as the four men convicted of the murder last year.
Aurman Singh, aged 28, died Berwick Avenue after being attacked by a gang of men brandishing an arsenal of weapons, including an axe, wooden stave, golf club and a machete.
Last year, Arshdeep Singh, 24, of Shaw Road, Tipton, Jagdeep Singh, 23, of Goodrich Mews, Dudley, Shivdeep Singh, 27, of Greenfield Road, Smethwick and Manjot Singh, 24, of the same address - were all convicted of the murder.
A fifth man, DPD worker Sukhmandeep Singh, 24, from Paynels, in Orton Goldhay, Peterborough, was convicted of manslaughter after a jury heard he had passed information to the gang.
Two other men remain at large and are wanted for the killing.
Mr Dennison told the jury: “There is no doubt that Aurman Singh was brutally murdered after being ambushed by eight men. They knew where he would be as a colleague in the Stoke on Trent DPD depot had told them of his whereabouts.
“Aurman Singh was ambushed in a quiet residential street as he delivered parcels for DPD. The gang of men, all wearing masks got out of their cars and all had a long and heavy weapons. Each one was capable of causing him really serious injury on its own.
He added: “He did not stand a chance. It is the prosecutions case that all eight men acted together and murdered him in cold blood.”
He told the jury that not only did the evidence presented show both Mehakdeep Singh and Sehajpal Singh were as guilty as the other but he added: “As does you own common sense.”
“The eight men acted together that day,” he said, on a “mission of revenge” after a friend was attacked at a kabaddi tournament in Derby the day before the killing.
What the court has heard previously
Over the course of the last three weeks, the jury heard how both Mehakdeep Singh, and Sehajpal Singh were in a Mercedes with two other men – fugitives Harwinder Singh Turna and Harpreet Singh – who travelled to Berwick Avenue with another gang in an Audi.
Seven of the men got out of the cars brandishing weapons, including Mehakdeep Singh, and Sehajpal Singh but they deny attacking the delivery driver.
“There is not a shred of evidence that supports the defendant's case they did not have the same intention as the men in the Audi,” said Mr Dennison. “We say they played there own brutal part in Aurman Singh's murder.”
However, Phil Bradley KC, defending Sehajpal Singh, said while there was “no doubt” his defendant was in Berwick Avenue, he said those facts were not enough to convict for murder.
He pointed to the case of Sukhmandeep Singh, the Peterborough man who was last year jailed for manslaughter for his part in Aurman Singh's death.
“As in Sukhmandeep's case, some may be guilty of the lesser charge of manslaughter,” he said. “They did not share the same intention that when Aurman was found he would be caused serious harm.”
Chris Millington KC, representing Mehakdeep Singh, added: “In many ways, the the outcome for Sukhmandeep is a classic example of a jury looking at his case separately, and you have been directed to consider the case of the defendant's here separately, not just from each other, but also from the previous trial.”
Earlier on Thursday, Judge Simon Hirst told the jurors that there was “no dispute” that Mehakdeep and Sehajpal Singh were in Berwick Avenue and had both got out of the Mercedes brandishing a hockey stick and a shovel.
But he told the jury: “Both men deny they participated in the assault on Aurman Singh or encouraged others to attack Aurman Singh so as to kill him or cause him really serious injury.”
He added: “Somebody does not actually have to have participated in the attack to be guilty of murder. If they knew Aurman Singh would be killed or really seriously injured, then you must find them guilty of murder.”
But he told jurors before they retired that they could return a verdict of manslaughter if they decide the two men did not know Aurman Singh would be killed or serious injured.
Both men deny murder.
