Killer of beloved Wolverhampton taxi driver found guilty of manslaughter
The passenger who killed a beloved taxi driver after a fight over a fare has been found guilty of manslaughter.
The jury at Wolverhampton Crown Court found Tomasz Margol not guilty of murder, which sparked emotional scenes in the public gallery from Anakh Singh's family.
Margol punched and headbutted Mr Singh during a street fight between the two on Sunday, October 30, and the 59-year-old father of two, who suffered from heart disease, died shortly after.
Mr Singh and Margol had been arguing over a £5.80 taxi fare, which had been paid online but had not shown up on the taxi driver's system, when he arrived at the Nine Elms Road property in Park Village.
The jury found Margol guilty of manslaughter after four hours and 55 minutes of deliberation. The majority guilty verdict for manslaughter was 11-1.
After the verdict the court was told Margol had previous convictions for robbery and assaulting a police officer in his homeland Poland in 2016 and assaulting a police officer in Wolverhampton in 2021.
During the two-week trial at Wolverhampton Crown Court the jury was shown CCTV footage of the fight which led to the death of Mr Singh.
There was a massive outpouring of grief after Mr Singh died with more than £11,000 being raised for his family after ABC taxis set up a GoFundMe page.
When he was arrested, he made a significant comment, telling officers: "Its about what happened today... about the beating."
Mr Singh’s family paid tribute, saying: “Anakh Singh was a loving husband, father and a well-respected member of the community.
“This loss has left us heartbroken and has forever changed our lives. We miss him dearly.
“We would also like to thank everyone who has supported us during this tough time.”
DI Michelle Thurgood, from our Force CID, said: "This was a senseless and tragic act of violence.
"Mr Singh was a law-abiding man of good character who was simply trying to do his job. Our thoughts remain with Mr Singh's family at this difficult time."
Judge Michael Chambers KC told Margol: "You have been found guilty of manslaughter. You will be kept in custody until your sentencing."
Margol, 36, of Bamford Road, Merridale, will be sentenced on Tuesday, July 11.