DPD worker murder suspect took axe with him 'to chop wood for a chicken barbecue', court told
A man accused of striking a DPD driver three times in the head with an axe, fracturing his skull, said he only brought the weapon out with him that day to chop wood at a chicken barbecue.
Taking the stand on the third week of the murder trial of five men accused of killing Aurman Singh in Shrewsbury last year, 22-year-old Jagdeep Singh of Goodrich Mews in Dudley denied striking the 23-year-old delivery driver with an axe.
Aurman Singh died in Berwick Avenue on August 21 after being allegedly "brutally attacked" by a gang of eight men who had travelled from the Black Country in an Audi and a Mercedes.
The court had previously heard how Jagdeep Singh had recorded himself on his phone brandishing the axe that was covered with Aurman Singh's blood.
His DNA was also on the handle of the black-and-blue Wickes axe, which had been found by police in a wheelie bin in Tipton shortly before four of the five men standing trial were arrested in the Audi following the attack.
While being quizzed by his defence barrister, Mr Christopher Millington KC, Jagdeep Singh said he spent the morning at the house of his friend and co-defendant Manjot Singh, when another co-defendant, Arshdeep Singh, arrived with Sehajpal Singh, known as Saj.
The court had already heard that Sehajpal Singh along with Black Country men Mehakdeep Singh, Harwinder Singh Turna and Harpreet Singh are suspected of being in the Mercedes on August 21 but have not been arrested and remain at large, still wanted in connection with the murder.
Mr Millington asked Jagdeep Singh if he left the house with anything that morning.
"Yes," he replied. "An axe. Saj had said 'brother, I need an axe, can you get it for me? It is in the garage'."
He continued: "I got it and brought it out and I was thinking what he wanted to do with it.
"I thought he was going to use it when we had a chicken barbecue later on. Saj had said he wanted to chop wood. I believed him as they were talking about a party and having a chicken barbecue."
