Kabaddi tournament violence was behind fatal DPD worker ambush in Shrewsbury, court heard
Violence at a Kabaddi tournament was behind a fatal ambush on a DPD worker, a court has heard.
Sehajpal Singh, 26, and Mehakdeep Singh, 24, both previously of Shaw Road in Tipton, are on trial at Stafford Crown Court, accused of the murder of Aurman Singh.
Both men deny the charges.
Aurman Singh, a 23-year-old DPD worker, was killed when he was ambushed by a group of men on the quiet Shrewsbury residential street, Berwick Avenue, on August 21, 2023.
He had been attacked by a gang of men brandishing an arsenal of weapons, including an axe, a spade, a hockey stick, and a metal bar.
The group of eight people had travelled from Tipton to Shrewsbury in two cars - a white Mercedes and a grey Audi.
Last year, four men - Arshdeep Singh, 24, of Shaw Road, Tipton; Jagdeep Singh, 23, of Goodrich Mews, Dudley; Shivdeep Singh, 27, of Greenfield Road, Smethwick; and Manjot Singh, 24, of the same address - were all convicted of the murder of Aurman Singh.
A fifth defendant, DPD worker Sukhmandeep Singh, 24, from Paynels, in Orton Goldhay, Peterborough, was convicted of manslaughter after a jury heard he had acted as an 'inside man' passing information on to the gang.
The defence in the latest trial has opened with evidence from Sehajpal, who lived at the time with both his co-defendant Mehakdeep Singh and Arshdeep Singh, who was jailed last year.
Sehajpal told the court that on August 20, the day before the ambush, he had attended a kabaddi tournament in Derby with friends - including others who were ultimately involved in the attack on Aurman.
Asked by his barrister, Phil Bradley KC, if there had been 'trouble' at the tournament, Sehajpal said "yes", but that he had not been involved.
The defendant said at one point the group of people he was with had been abused by another group who approached them with their faces covered.
Asked what he did, Sehajpal replied that he and others had jumped over a fence and run away, having 'panicked'.
The group made their way to a pub but the defendant said that two of his friends - including a man called Malkeet Singh - were missing - with them later finding out he had been injured and taken to hospital for treatment.
The court was told that Sehajpal and a number of others, including Arshdeep, had visited hospitals in Derby and Nottingham to check on his friend late on the evening of August 20.
Malkeet was being treated at the Nottingham hospital for injuries sustained in the violence at the event.
The trial was earlier told that Arshdeep had sent one of Sehajpal's phone numbers to Sukhmandeep Singh at 2.24am on August 21.
The text included the message "phone on this as well, keep doing it".
Mr Bradley asked Sehajpal if he knew his number had been passed to Sukhmandeep, he replied "no", adding that he did not know him.
Giving evidence, the defendant said he was woken up at 8am the next day by Arshdeep who told him "we are going to threaten someone regarding what happened in Derby".
Asked what he did then, Sehajpal said he got up and got ready because Arshdeep had told him others - including Jagdeep Singh, Harpreet Singh, and Shivdeep Singh - were waiting for them at the home of Manjot Singh - who was also convicted of murder last year.
Mr Bradley asked the defendant if they were aware by this point that videos of violence at the tournament were circulating on social media.
He said "yes" and that when the group looked at the videos Manjot had said he recognised Aurman as an attacker, because of the DPD logo on his cap and the way his body moved.
One of the videos showed a group of men attacking Malkeet Singh with weapons, including swords, while he was on the floor.
Sehajpal said the video showed "Malkeet on the floor and number of people hitting him with swords and weapons".
The group then went to Sehajpal's Shaw Road property where the defendant admitted knowing that Arshdeep had a golf club with him to take in the Audi - but he denied seeing any other weapons in that vehicle.
But Sehajpal admitted that he had taken a shovel in the Mercedes - which he travelled to Shrewsbury in - while others had brought a cricket bat, a hockey stick, and a metal bar.
Asked about the fatal attack in Berwick Avenue he said the group had got out of their cars and as they approached the DPD van, Aurman had started to run away.
Sehajpal told the court at that point Harwinder Singh Turna, who had been in the Mercedes, had thrown a metal bar at the victim, causing him to fall to the floor.
The defendant said he could then see Arshdeep, Manjot and Shivdeep attacking Aurman while he was on the floor, but insisted he had remained at a distance behind a car, and had not struck the victim.
Sehajpal said that the group then returned to their separate cars: he and the three others in the Mercedes, with Mehakdeep, Harwinder, Harpreet Singh and the others in the Audi.
He said that an argument then took place between Mehakdeep and Harwinder over the metal bar being thrown.
Asked why they had rowed about it the defendant said: "Because we didn't expect that."
He added that the attack had not been "the plan" and there was more arguing about the attack on Aurman.
Sehajpal told the court that the two cars then drove to Hubert Way where Arshdeep told them to abandon their weapons.
Sehajpal and Mehakdeep left the Mercedes and got a taxi to Shrewsbury Railway Station, before getting a train to Wolverhampton.
Harwinder and Harpreet also made their way to Shrewsbury Railway Station later by bus, after ditching the car.
Mr Bradley questioned Sehajpal over why evidence that shows a route map being created on his co-defendant's phone - showing how to get to Shrewsbury Railway Station.
He responded by saying: "There was an argument between both of them, although we didn't do anything we were there and we were panicking so we just told to get away from this trouble."
He added: "First we had argument then we started seeing how we were going back to West Midlands."
The defendant also explained the content of conversations with Arshdeep by telephone after the incident saying: "I told him what was happening in Berwick Avenue was terrible and should not be happening. He said it was a mistake. He said we didn't intend to hit him but it just happened."
Sehajpal told the court that he had not found out that Aurman had died until he got to a friend's flat in Tipton High Street.
Asked about his reaction he said: "It was shocking and stressed because I thought at that point when I was in Shrewsbury he had some serious injuries but when I got news he had died it was shocking and hysterical news."
Pressed on what he decided to do next, the defendant said: "I was panicking. I didn't know what to do or how to do so that's why I just decided to go from the country."
Prosecuting barrister Simon Dennison cross-examined Sehajpal, rejecting suggestions that he believed the group had only planned to threaten their victim.
He put it to the defendant that the plan to attack Aurman had been hatched outside the hospital in Nottingham - with Arshdeep's early-morning message to Sukhmandeep showing the plan was already in motion to carry out revenge for the injuries to Malkeet.
Mr Dennison said that the early morning message showed they were intent on ambushing Aurman long before they looked at the video at the home of Manjot Singh on the morning of the attack.
Responding, Sehajpal said "yes", but he insisted his belief was that the plan was to scare the victim - and that he was not aware Sukhmandeep had been passed his contact details.
He said: "We just wanted to make him feel like what it feels when a group of people with masks attack someone."
Quizzed about his denial that he had struck Aurman the defendant responded: "If I had attacked Aurman Singh then where is Aurman's DNA or blood on my shovel?"
He added: "As everyone knows there was no DNA."
The trial continues.