AN Oldbury man took part in the brutal killing of a drinking friend who was cruelly humiliated before being beaten to death, a court heard.

Sikh Balbir Singh suffered more than 150 injuries during his four day ordeal in which his beard and moustache were shaved off, his turban removed and his head shaved while henna was applied to his face by three friends The 54-year-old had massive bruising to his face, neck, hands and back and a number of fractured ribs, Wolverhampton Crown Court was told The father-of-three, who had been drinking heavily with his three killers, was found dead at his home in Baldwin Close, Brades Village, Tividale, on March 5.

Inderjit Dhesi, aged 31, of Brades Road, Oldbury, Paramjit Johal, aged 50, also of Baldwin Close, and 46-year-old Paramjit Singh, of Gravesend, Kent, were cleared of murder which they denied during the course of their trial.

But the nine man-three woman jury found them guilty of manslaughter after retiring for just 74 minutes to consider the evidence at the end of their six week trial.

The trial was told the three men, who had also pleaded not guilty to manslaughter, had been drinking with Mr Singh before there was a "falling out."

Peter Grieves-Smith, prosecuting, said the defendants set out to humiliate Mr Singh it what he described as a "sustained and cowardly" attack.

He said photographs were taken which showed Mr Singh naked on a chair and it was impossible to say just which of the defendants inflicted what blows because after their arrest they blamed each other for what happened.

Mr Singh's window, Parminder Kaur Kandola, told the jury through an interpreter the last time she heard his voice on the telephone he had told her he was being badly beaten.

She said he sounded breathless and in pain, he was unable to talk to her like he normally did adding, "He said they are torturing me."

Judge John Warner further remanded the defendants in custody until December 14 for the preparation of s pre-sentence reports before deciding the length of prison sentences.

Following the verdict, detective sergeant Mick Griffiths said: "This was an appalling and deeply distressing case. Mr Singh was so badly beaten over a long period of time that he ultimately lost his life.

"People who he knew as friends or acquaintances abused his trust and degraded him in a sickening and heartless fashion.

"What led to the sustained violence has never truly been confirmed, but thankfully those responsible have finally been found guilty of this terrible crime.

"They will no doubt spend considerable time behind bars and we hope that Balbir's family and friends can take some comfort from that."