Shropshire Star

Halfway House murder trial: Victim's blood found on polo shirt, court told

The blood of a diner owner who was found dead with multiple stab wounds was discovered on a polo shirt that was likely to have been worn by his alleged murderer, a court heard.

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Police at the scene. Inset: Satnam Singh Blugher.

Satnam Singh Blugher, 67, was found on the kitchen floor of Tony’s Diner in Halfway House, between Shrewsbury and Welshpool, by his son on June 26 last year.

Employee Belkar Singh, who was found with £47,000 in cash belonging to the victim, denies murdering him.

At Stafford Crown Court yesterday, forensic scientist Stephen Paddock gave evidence at his trial saying he had been given a polo shirt to analyse which had been seized by police.

He said a “contact” blood stain was present on the centre of the shirt at the front and there were airborne blood stains found elsewhere on the clothing.

Analysis showed the blood belonged to Mr Blugher, but Singh’s DNA was also found on the polo shirt, the court was told.

Mr Paddock told the jury: “One likely explanation is that Belkar Singh had worn this T-shirt at some stage.”

The case so far:

He said a £5 note recovered from Singh’s address when he was arrested also had traces of Mr Blugher’s blood on it.

Mr Paddock said blood found at the scene indicated Mr Blugher would have been upright at some stage when he was bleeding.

He told the court that a heavy smear of blood on the floor of the diner suggested Mr Blugher was dragged feet first to where he was found.

Footmarks were also found in the blood and Mr Blugher’s blood was found on knives at the diner.

Mr Paddock also told the jury that the account given by Singh into what happened could not explain some of the blood patterns found at the scene or on the polo shirt.

Mr David Mason QC, prosecuting, said Singh claimed he had been clearing up at the diner when two men entered and conversations between them and Mr Blugher became heated.

Mr Mason QC said Singh had claimed one of the men hit Mr Blugher over the back of the head with a pan, causing him to fall to the floor, where the two men attacked Mr Blugher with knives.

The court heard Singh’s account for the contact blood stain on the polo shirt was that one of the men had touched him at the time.

But Mr Paddock said blood on work surfaces indicated Mr Blugher was bleeding when he was upright and Singh’s account did not explain the airborne blood stains on the polo shirt.

Mr Blugher had been stabbed and struck up to 50 times.

The prosecution alleges that 58-year-old Singh, of Booth Street, Birmingham, was motivated by greed and attacked the victim for money.

The trial continues.

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