Killer loses appeal to clear name

Balbir Singh, aged 54, was found dead at his flat in Tividale, after suffering more than 150 separate injuries at the hands of Paramjit Singh Johal, Inderjit Dhesi and Paramjit Singh.

The three men all received 13-year jail terms in December 2012 after being found guilty of his manslaughter at Wolverhampton Crown Court.

Johal, 52, of Baldwin Close, Tividale, challenged his conviction at London's Criminal Appeal Court this week with his lawyers arguing it was 'unsafe'.

They claimed the case should never have been left to jurors to decide, as they could not be sure on the evidence that Mr Singh's death resulted from a 'joint enterprise' between the three men.

But his complaints were thrown out by three of the country's most senior judges, who said the trial judge was 'plainly entitled' to conclude there was enough evidence for the case to be left to the jury.

The judges also dismissed an appeal against Johal's sentence - saying it was 'not excessive' in light of the 'humiliation - if not torture' of the victim.

The court heard Balbir was found dead at his home in Baldwin Close on March 5 after Johal, who also lived there, phoned emergency services, saying a person who was drunk had fallen over and died.

The victim was found to have sustained 155 separate injuries, including bruising and fractured ribs, during a three-day ordeal.

In addition, his beard and moustache had been shaved off, his Sikh turban was removed and his hair was cut, and his face had been painted.

The court heard that his killers, who were all Sikhs themselves, would have understood the humiliation this would have caused him.

The three were originally charged with murder, but the trial judge found there was not enough evidence they intended to kill him.

However, Johal was found guilty of manslaughter, along with Dhesi, 33, of Brades Road, Oldbury, and Singh, 48, from Kent.

Johal's lawyers argued that, as there was no medical evidence as to which injury caused Mr Singh's death, and no evidence the three had agreed to attack him, the case against him should have been dismissed.

But, rejecting his appeal, Judge Charles Wide QC said there was evidence the three men had been in the flat throughout the three days leading up to the victim's death and had all participated in assaulting and humiliating him.

itting with Lady Justice Rafferty and Mrs Justice Simler, he added: "Plainly there was abundant evidence that all three defendants participated in a joint enterprise to assault Balbir Singh.

"A reasonable jury, properly directed, could find that all of them were involved. In our judgment, the trial judge was plainly entitled to reach the conclusion that he did."