‘He just popped to Lidl for a bottle of wine’: Heartbreaking tribute to Wolverhampton dad killed in crash

On the evening of the incident, James had simply popped into Lidl to buy a bottle of wine while his partner of 20 years, Katie, was cooking dinner.

The couple were were celebrating Katie being offered a new job the very same day, following redundancy earlier in the year, but James was caught in the disaster.

The Lidl store on Finchfield Hill saw a Renault Zoe crash through the front door on Friday, October 23 after the driver, a woman in her 70s, was believed to have suffered a medical incident.

James Singh Jagpal died at the scene and another woman was taken to hospital with serious injuries. The interior of the store was a scene of devastation.

“We were both so excited that life was finally beginning to get back to normal.

“Our whole world has been turned upside down since that evening when James never returned home,” said Katie

James would have celebrated his 40th birthday on November 6.

James, who was a lifelong Wolves fan, wanted a quiet birthday, as he had recently lost his mum to aggressive stage 4 cancer just two months earlier.

Him and his family spent much of this year caring for her, and during her final weeks we were by her side every day at Compton Care.

The family had planned a trip to Cornwall during the October half-term break to fulfil James’s mum’s wish to have her ashes scattered there. This trip was planned for just three days after the date of the crash.

He was a senior recruitment consultant at a company he loved and had recently secured a career progression. Despite spending much of this year helping care for his mum, he always managed to keep on top of his work and provided for his family.

The father-of-two teenage daughters was incredibly loved.

Partner Katie added: “James was the sort of person you would remember if you had met him just once.

“He was full of life, happy, confident and generous. He never dwelled on the negatives and always tried to see the positives in life.

“He also had an incredibly sensitive and loving side, particularly towards his family and friends. He was never afraid to show his emotions to the people closest to him.

“Above all, James was an amazing dad. He was always a huge part of our girls’ lives, and we were an incredibly close family. We made sure we sat down for dinner together every evening, enjoyed days out with our dog and looked forward to our family movie nights. He was brave, resilient and determined to give our daughters the best possible start in life.

“James appreciated the simple things in life. He enjoyed working hard, doing the school runs, cooking and spending time with his family. He also loved having a drink with friends, watching the football at the pub and, whenever he could, heading to Molineux on match days with his brother-in-law.

“We are now trying to navigate life without James and learning to live without all the little and big things he did that made our family what it was. The house is incredibly quiet without him, and the absence of him is felt in everything we do.

“Our lives will never be the same. We miss him more than words can say, and somehow we miss him more with every passing day.”

Dharmi Gill, James’ best friend said: “I’m absolutely devastated and heartbroken. He was my best friend. I’m three years older than James but he always used to be the stronger one.

“I brought that wolves top as a surprise for his 40th Birthday but now I’ve given it to his family.”

The Lidl has since reopened with a spokesperson saying: “Our deepest thoughts and sympathies remain with the family and loved ones of James Singh Jagpal following their devastating loss.

“We continue to do everything possible to support our colleagues during this difficult time, and we sincerely thank the local community for their patience and understanding."