Baljit Singh killing: Drugs link to murdered father is revealed

Baljit Singh was battered over the head up to 20 times, possibly with a short iron bar, and was stabbed during a savage attack that started in the lounge of a house in Beeches Road, Rowley Regis.

The body of the 50-year-old was discovered in the cellar there eight days later, on New Year's Day, with a kitchen knife still stuck in his neck, Wolverhampton Crown Court was told.

Stuart Millership, who was living at the address with his girlfriend, pleaded guilty to the murder on the basis that the crime was committed by two Albanians in an attack in which he played a minor role.

This has not been accepted by the prosecution who insist that he acted alone and a judge will decide on the facts at the end of the case.

The 33-year-old had known the victim - the landlord of a flat where he had previously lived - for many years and claimed he was owed £12,500 by him over a business deal that went sour.

Millership had grown increasingly angry and frustrated over Mr Singh's failure to settle the alleged debt during the run up to the murder and had repeatedly told people he was going to get a Range Rover - identical to the £15,000 car driven by Mr Singh - in place of money he was owed, the court heard.

Mr Robert Price, prosecuting, said: "They had known each other for some time and were involved with cannabis. The deceased bought £30,000 worth of the drug from Albanians a year before his disappearance. I cannot comment on the precise nature of any financial arrangements concerning drugs or any other venture."

The prosecutor said there was no evidence that Mr Singh really owed Millership money but continued: "The defendant believed he was owed money by Mr Singh who was prevaricating about payment and this made Millership frustrated and angry. He was expecting to received Mr Singh's Range Rover in lieu of the debt."

It was claimed that the money was owed over a business deal that went wrong and was described as a 'shipment of shower units from China.'

Mr Singh drove from his Meadow Road, Edgbaston home in his grey Range Rover at 11.30am to collect his son's birthday cake and pizzas for the party planned for later that day. He told his wife Manjit Kaur that he had to go somewhere first.

He never arrived to collect the food as arranged around 3pm and was never seen alive again by his family. His wife later revealed that he had received a phone call from an unidentified person threatening to snatch his car and kill him months before the murder.

Mr Singh was reported missing when he did not return for the birthday party of his son Roman on December 23 and Mr Price said he had been murdered by Millership that afternoon and the body hidden in the cellar where it was found by police on New Year's Day 24 hours after Millership had been arrested on suspicion of stealing the victim's car.

A post mortem examination revealed that Mr Singh had died from head injuries and a knife wound to the neck, either of which could have proved fatal.

The case continues.