Aurman Singh: Black Country men found guilty of murder

Aurman, who was 23 and lived in Smethwick, died after he was attacked and killed by a group of men each armed with weapons including an axe, hockey stick and shovel.

It happened in broad daylight in August last year as the delivery driver made a delivery on Berwick Avenue in Coton Hill in Shrewsbury. 

West Mercia Police said his injuries were "so severe there was no chance of him surviving" and he died at the scene. 

The suspects fled in a white Mercedes Benz and grey Audi before discarding some of the weapons in nearby Hubert Way.

The Audi was followed by police as it headed towards Tipton where the men were filmed dumping the axe, wrapped in a grey hoodie, in a bin.

The car was stopped and Arshdeep Singh, 24, of Shaw Road in Tipton, Jagdeep Singh, 22, of Goodrich Mews in Dudley, Shivdeep Singh, 26, and Manjot Singh, 24, both of Greenfield Road in Smethwick, were arrested on suspicion of murder.

All four men denied murder but were found guilty by a jury after a six-week trial at Stafford Crown Court (Thursday, March 28). 

A fifth man, Sukhmandeep Singh, 23, from Paynels in Orton Goldhay, Peterborough, believed to be the “the inside man” who sent information about Aurman’s deliveries on the day he was murdered, was arrested a few days later. He was found guilty of manslaughter.

The murder investigation was led by Detective Chief Inspector Mark Bellamy.

He said: “The attack on Aurman Singh was planned and organised by a group of men who armed themselves with weapons and used a level of violence that can only suggest they intended to kill him.

“They used inside information to pick a location where they knew he would be and lay in wait before carrying out the brutal attack in broad daylight.

“We are incredibly grateful for the support from local residents and those who provided vital information to assist with our investigation and gave evidence in court.

"Today’s verdict should send a strong message to those who think they can come into our towns and cities to commit violent crime that we will not stop in our efforts to find them and put them before the courts.

“This was a complex investigation which saw us work with police forces across the country and I’d like to thank the investigation team and those involved for their hard work and commitment.”

In a statement, Aurman's family said: "There are no words that could ever explain the impact this tragedy has had on me and my family.

"Today a mother will grow old without her son. A sister will grow up without her brother. We don’t want what has happened to us to happen to another family.

"It is an unbearable loss for us which has changed our lives. My daughter and myself will be living our lives for the sake of it but our happiness and the will to live is not there.

"We would like to thank the police for conducting their investigation diligently and supporting us through this tough time."