Wolverhampton house blaze: Pair deny murdering takeaway owner in arson attack on house
Two men have pleaded not guilty to killing a Wolverhampton takeaway owner who died after a severe house blaze.
Akashdeep Singh, aged 26, suffered 50 per cent burns during the fire at the family home in Plascom Road in the Eastfields area of Wolverhampton in the early hours of June 25.
On Friday at Wolverhampton Crown Court accused men Dale Francis and Daniel Tatters, from Stoke-on-Trent, appeared via video link.
Both defendants denied murdering him.
They also denied attempting to murder Manpreet Kaur, Gurmukh Singh and Suraj Singh Kalsi, and denied arson with intent to endanger life.
A charge of attempted murder relating to Gulzara Singh has been discontinued.
Judge Michael Chambers KC told the defendants: "Your case is being adjourned for trial. The date is still to be fixed. I am required to warn you that if you do not attend the trial may be held in your absence.
"In the meantime you must remain in custody."
Daniel Tatters, of Victoria Street, and Dale Francis, 36, are both from the Basford area of Stoke.
Despite the efforts of paramedics Mr Singh, who was the proprietor of JD’s Grill Land in The Orchard in Bilston, died on the way to hospital.
During the incident several members of the family were injured as a result.
His 52-year-old mother Manpreet's right leg was amputated as a result and she remains in a critical condition in Birmingham’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
Meanwhile his father and homeowner Gurmukh, aged 58, and brother Suraj, aged 16, have been discharged from hospital.
An online appeal to assist the family's whose home was gutted in the blaze has so far raised more than £4,000 on website gofundme.com/f/fatal-house-fire-attack-1-death-and-4-seriously-injured
Around 1,000 mourners attended the single man's funeral held at Walsall's Guru Nanak Gurdwara Sahib, in West Bromwich Street, Caldmore.