TWO men have been sentenced to life imprisonment for the brutal murder of delivery driver Aurman Singh, who was attacked while delivering parcels in Shrewsbury two years ago.
Mehakdeep Singh, 24, and Sehajpal Singh, 26, both formerly of Tipton in the West Midlands, were ordered to serve a minimum of 28 years each after being found guilty at Stafford Crown Court on Friday (11).
The pair were part of a gang that attacked 23-year-old Singh with weapons including an axe, hockey stick and shovel in Berwick Avenue, Coton Hill, on 21 August 2023. The victim's injuries were so severe that he was pronounced dead at the scene.
During the sentencing hearing, Singh's mother Kuljit Kaur delivered an emotional statement, describing her son as a "beacon of love and kindness" whose future had been "stolen by the hands of strangers".
"I would do anything to have just one more moment with him and give him a hug," she told the court.
The court heard how the attack followed an incident at a Kabaddi tournament in Derbyshire the previous day. The group had obtained information about Singh's delivery route through an inside contact at DPD.
Detective sergeant Mat Crisp from West Mercia Police's major investigation unit said: "This attack was calculated and brutal; it was not a robbery that went wrong, it was planned and Aurman was their sole target."
Mehakdeep Singh,Sehajpal Singhwww.easterneye.biz
"The group used an arsenal of weapons against Aurman, who was defenceless. There is no doubt in my mind what their intention was, and that was to kill him."
After the attack, the killers fled in a white Mercedes which was later found abandoned on Kynaston Road in Shrewsbury.
Mehakdeep and Sehajpal then took a taxi to Shrewsbury Railway Station and a train to Wolverhampton before fleeing abroad several days later.
Following an investigation, police located the pair in Austria. They were arrested at an address in Hohenzell on May 20, 2024 and later charged with murder. Last month, they were unanimously found guilty following a three-week trial.
Judge Simon Hirst described the attack as a "carefully planned and executed murder" with the victim "totally unaware" the gang were lying in wait.
This sentencing follows the conviction of five other men last year for their roles in the killing. Four men - Arshdeep Singh, Jagdeep Singh, Shivdeep Singh and Manjot Singh - were previously sentenced to 28 years each for murder. A fifth man, Sukhmandeep Singh, described as the "inside man" who provided information about the delivery route, received 10 years for manslaughter.
Detective chief inspector Mark Bellamy, senior investigating officer, said, "These latest sentencings should send a strong message to those who think they can come into our towns and cities to commit violent crime that we will not stop in our efforts to find them and put them before the courts.
"I hope Aurman's family can take reassurance from today's sentencing, knowing that the men responsible for his death have been put behind bars."
The seven men convicted in connection with the murder have now received a combined total of 178 years in prison sentences, according to police.
FILE PHOTO: A general view shows British Steel's Scunthorpe plant, in Scunthorpe, northern England, Britain, March 31, 2025. REUTERS/Dominic Lipinski
The FBU is planning to introduce new internal policies and wants the TUC to take action as well. (Representational image: iStock)
FBU chief raises concern over rise in racist online posts by union members
THE FIRE Brigades Union (FBU) and other trade unions are increasingly concerned about a rise in racist and bigoted online comments by their own members and officials, according to Steve Wright, the FBU’s new general secretary, speaking to the Guardian.
Wright said internal inquiries have revealed dozens of cases involving members using racist slurs or stereotypes, often aimed at asylum seekers.
He said similar issues were reported in other unions, prompting a joint campaign to counter false narratives around immigration and race promoted by far-right groups online.
“People with far-right views are becoming more brazen in what they do on social media, and I’ve witnessed it with my own union around disciplinary cases and the rhetoric of some of our own members,” Wright said to the newspaper.
He added, “Some of our members and sometimes our reps have openly made comments which are racist and bigoted. In my time in the fire service, that has gone up.”
The FBU is planning to introduce new internal policies and wants the TUC to take action as well. A formal statement addressing far-right narratives will be launched at the union’s annual conference in Blackpool next month.
Wright cited the influence of social media and figures like Donald Trump and Nigel Farage as factors contributing to these incidents. “It feels like an itch that we’ve got to scratch,” he said.
The FBU barred a former official last year for allegedly endorsing racist content on X, including posts from Britain First and Tommy Robinson.
Wright also warned that the union could strike if the government moves to cut frontline fire services.