Murder of builder in Wednesfield house still unsolved

Married builder Swaran Singh was found dead at his home on November 7 last year, his body covered with injuries that showed he had been badly beaten while trying to defend himself.

But despite a police investigation in which 78 witness statements were taken, extensive house-to-house inquiries were made and endless CCTV footage was examined, officers have not been able to bring charges.

An inquest at Smethwick Council House yesterday heard that 54-year-old alcoholic Mr Singh had previously been attacked by the people he lived with at a house in Neachells Lane, in Wednesfield, as well as by his brother, who owned the property at the time.

Both former housemates who gave evidence at the inquest denied having ever assaulted him, although his brother, Surinder Singh Gill, admitted slapping him to try to stop him drinking.

Mr Singh's body was covered in 'significant' injuries, some of which appeared to have been caused by blows from a cylindrical object, as well as drag marks, and he suffered serious bleeding inside the brain, the inquest heard.

Home Office forensic pathologist Dr Alexander Kolar said: "He has got extremely significant defensive-type injuries, which indicate at least for a period of this taking place he was conscious and partly mobile but unable to defend himself."

Speaking through an interpreter, Mr Singh's former housemates, Kashmir Singh and Manjit Singh Sudu, neither related to Mr Singh, said he had not had any injuries other than a minor one on his face when they went to bed on the night before he was found dead in bed at around 11am.

Coroner Robin Balmain recorded a medical cause of death as soft tissue injury compounded by an artery disease and alcoholic liver disease.

Mr Balmain said: "The death followed a sustained assault, causing serious injuries. On the balance of probabilities he would not have died when he died had he not been assaulted, despite suffering from a severe natural disease."