Indian-origin man jailed for life for mother’s murder at UK home

London: A 48-year-old Indian-origin man who attacked his 76-year-old mother in their family home in Leicester, eastern England, has been found guilty of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment.

Sindeep Singh was arrested after Leicestershire Police discovered the deceased, Bhajan Kaur, with significant injuries to her head and face on May 13. Following a 16-day trial at Leicester Crown Court, Singh was found guilty of murder and sentenced this week to life in prison with a minimum term of 31 years behind bars before being considered for parole.

“This was a deeply disturbing case which uncovered the lengths Singh went to, to cover his tracks,” said Detective Chief Inspector Mark Sinski from the East Midlands Special Operations Unit Murder Investigation Team.

“After killing his mother, Singh went out and bought a sack barrow and spade to dig up the garden. He intended burying Mrs Kaur’s body but was disturbed before he could do that. The house had been cleaned and there was a very strong smell of disinfectant. There was clear evidence showing the planning after her death,” he said.

The detective revealed that when Singh was approached by officers, he provided false details and initially claimed to have no knowledge of the incident. But during the police investigation, it was established that Singh acted following several arguments over the ownership of the family home, which he believed had been left to him by his late father.

“This has been an extremely distressing and challenging time for Mrs Kaur’s family, they have been left devastated at the loss of their dear mother. They have shown immense courage and dignity throughout the investigation and subsequent legal proceedings,” he said.

“It is unfortunate that this case ended with a trial and the family had to sit through the proceedings and listen to the details of Mrs Kaur’s final moments. This is in no way easy for them – they’ve lost a loved one and will now have to live with the fact that Mrs Kaur’s life was taken by one of their own,” he added.

The court heard how previously Kaur had reported Singh for his behaviour and he was even arrested on suspicion of controlling and coercive behaviour and released on bail while those enquiries were ongoing. The investigation revealed that Singh had been living in his car on the driveway of the home, and on the day of the murder, Kaur had let him into the house.

CCTV evidence showed Singh leaving the property later on the same day and going to purchase a sack and spade from a nearby shop. He then returned to the house on Bolsover Street and when relatives were unable to get hold of Kaur, they went to her home where they discovered her body. When police officers arrived at the scene, they also found that ground in the rear garden had been dug up creating a large hole.