THE jury has been sworn in for the trial of a Rowley Regis man accused of murdering a popular Birmingham father.

The body of Baljit Singh was found in the basement of a house in Beeches Road, Rowley Regis on New Years Day.

The 50-year-old had been missing since December 23 when he left his home in Birmingham to collect a birthday cake for his son.

Stuart Millership, 32 of Beeches Road, has denied murdering Mr Singh and his trial is set to start tomorrow (Tuesday) at Wolverhampton Crown Court A four man - eight woman jury has been sworn in for the case which Judge John Warner has been told is expected to last for two weeks.

A post mortem revealed Mr Singh who lived in Meadow Road, Harborne died as a result of head injuries and a knife wound to his neck.

He had been one of the founders of the Smethwick based Mahal Warriors Football Club, Mr Robert Smith will make his opening speech to the jury tomorrow Tuesday to outline the prosecution case against Millership who was arrested on New Years Eve at an address in Kingswinford.