An illegal immigrant accused of bludgeoning two men to death at a Shropshire flat told police “I did it”, a court heard today.

Sukhdev Singh fled the murder scene and sought sanctuary at a Sikh temple in Smethwick after killing Kulwant Singh, 31, and 30-year-old Jaswant Singh, in a flat above Shawbury Fish Bar in Drayton Road, Shawbury, jurors were told.

Sukhdev Singh, 26, denies murdering the men between December 5 and 8 last year.

Mr Stephen Linehan QC, prosecuting at Stafford Crown Court, today described him as a “determined, practised and cunning liar”.

Mr Linehan said Singh only changed his story that he found the bodies on his way to work after officers discovered attempts had been made to clean up the flat.

He said Jaswant Singh suffered five lacerations to the left side of his head.

“There were five big lacerations, which shows where they had been caused by five heavy blows with a blunt object, and they are entirely consistent with being caused by a hammer,” said Mr Linehan.”Lacerations on Kulwant’s head had been caused by at least 10 heavy blows.

“Both men were killed in the same fashion, although one had been hurt twice as much as the other.”

Mr Linehan told the court Sukhdev Singh took a taxi to Shrewsbury railway station after the killings, from where he took a train to Birmingham.

From Birmingham New Street, he travelled the short distance to Smethwick where he sought shelter in a Sikh temple.

Mr Linehan said: “Effectively, he was hiding in Smethwick, but police discovered him there on December 11.

“He was arrested and brought back to Shropshire, to the police station in Telford, and interviewed.”

Mr Linehan said Sukhdev Singh claims the two men must have been attacked somewhere outside the flat as they arrived home after a night out.

However, Mr Linehan said the defendant later said, “I did it and there’s an explanation as to why I did it”.

The trial continues.