A 32-year-old Rowley Regis man arrested in Kingswinford accused of the brutal murder of a Birmingham father will now plead to the charge on May 29.

Stuart Millership, of Beeches Road, was expected to make a plea when he appeared before Judge John Warner at Wolverhampton Crown Court.

But Miss Lynette McClement defending told the court they needed more information before the case could go to a plea hearing.

Millership is charged with murdering 50 year old Baljit Singh who was found dead in the basement of a house in Rowley Regis on New Years Day, A post mortem later revealed Mr Singh who lived in Meadow Road, Harborne died from head injuries and a knife wound to the neck.

Mr Singh who was one of the founder of the Smethwick based Mahal Warriors Football Club had been missing since December 23 when he left his home to collect a birthday cake for his son.

Millership was arrested by police officers investigating his death on New Year's Eve at premises in Kingswinford.

The judge further remanded Millership who only spoke during the short hearing to confirm his name in custody until May 29.