Man who attacked son-in-law with meat cleaver jailed

A Birmingham man who grievously attacked his son-in-law with a meat cleaver due to a 'festering feud' over a trip to India has been jailed for eight and a half years.

Bhajan Singh was under the influence of alcohol when he swung the weapon at the victim in the offender’s family home in Cornwall Road, Handsworth.

Judge Sarah Buckingham of Sarah Buckingham said the possible motive for the attack was Singh’s frustration after his return from India as he “wanted someone to blame” for it.

The victim, his wife and two children had been living together with Singh for two years without any problems till the eventful evening on April 14 this year.

Prosecutor Alex Warren said Singh was drinking whisky at home when his son-in-law - they worked in the same factory - returned home after a shopping outing.

When they were in the living room, Singh attacked him from the rear resulting in a cut on the back of the victim’s neck. The court heard that the son-in-law, in his 30s, thought he was slapped. But he soon realised Singh was holding a meat cleaver.

The defendant swung the weapon aiming at the victim’s neck. The younger man suffered injuries in his hand while trying to protect himself from the attacker and bled profusely from his palm.

The meat cleaver made contact with the victim’s left palm causing it to bleed profusely. The victim fled to a neighbour’s house and the alarm was raised. But Singh was smiling when he was being arrested and appeared to be “wind up”. During the trial, he pleaded guilty to wounding with intent.

While sentencing Singh, Judge Buckingham said, “.. for wholly inexplicable reasons, while under the influence of alcohol, you attacked your son-in-law by stabbing him in the neck with a meat cleaver.”

She noted that the victim was “wholly defenceless” when he was attacked from the rear.

“I have seen photos of it (the meat cleaver) covered in the victim's blood,” the judge said and added, “the force of the attack was such that the wooden handle broke during the incident."

A likely motive for the attack was Singh’s recent extended trip to India as he had "reluctantly" returned to Britain and had become angry and frustrated, the judge noted.