Defendant in Wolverhampton Diwali murder case fled to India after victim's death, court told

Father-to-be Navpreet Singh died after being crushed when a white Mercedes twice ran over him at Phoenix Park off Dudley Road in Blakenhall on October 22 last year.

Jashan Singh, aged 21, of Cannock Road in Westcroft, is on trial accused of murdering the 26-year-old and causing his death by dangerous driving.

He and Mohit Singh, aged 18, of Tangmere Close, Ettingshall, are both accused of perverting the course of justice in that they swapped items of clothing to avoid detection or arrest by police. Mohit Singh is also accused of violent disorder.

Tim Hannam KC, prosecuting, told the jury at the city’s crown court that Mohit Singh caught a flight to India in the days following Navpreet Singh’s death. He said phone record checks carried out by West Midlands Police showed that Jashan Singh’s phone activity was picked up by telecommunication masts near Coventry Airport and airports in London.

Mr Hannam said: “It is not disputed in this case that Jashan Singh killed a man earlier that morning in this car. And here he was near an airport. You may want to consider what he was thinking of doing and why.

“The journey took him to Coventry, but it didn’t end there. He went to Heathrow between 4pm and 5pm the same afternoon. Having gone in the vicinity of Heathrow he then heads north to Stanstead. Was Jashan Singh thinking about escaping abroad?

“In the end he did not leave the country. He was arrested near Bicester driving the silver Mercedes back north on the M40 motorway. Mohit Singh did travel to India.”

The prosecutor explained that Jashan Singh went on the road in a different car, described in court as a silver-coloured Merecedes, and that the white C-Class Coupe which knocked down Navpreet Singh was seized from his Westcroft home near Wolverhampton.

He told the jury that Mohit Singh was arrested at Birmingham Airport on his return to the UK some time later.

Mr Hannam said the deceased man sustained many injuries including to his legs as a result of being knocked down, as well as a broken pelvis and extensive internal injuries “in keeping with crush injuries”.

He said strands of hair and blood found under the front of the white Mercedes matched the DNA samples for Navpreet Singh.

He said that when Jashan Singh was interviewed by detectives he claimed the dead man had been aggressive towards his group and that he accepted he was the man behind the wheel of the car involved.

The jury also heard that Navpreet Singh's friends rushed him to New Cross Hospital, but he died in the waiting room.

Jashan Singh and Mohit Singh both deny the allegations. The trial continues.