TONY SINGH TRIAL: ‘I hit him with a bar' - accused tells court (From Campaign Series)

TONY SINGH TRIAL: ‘I hit him with a bar' - accused tells court

12:30pm Tuesday 6th March 2012 in Campaign news

A MAN accused of murdering a Newport father told a court that he hit him with a bar that he had up his sleeve.

Karl Drummond, 37, of Attlee Court, Caerphilly, gave evidence at Cardiff Crown Court yesterday.

Drummond, along with Caerphilly men George Glover, 40, of Graham Court, and Shahid Rafiq, 37, of Bryn-yr-Ysgol, are charged with conspiring to rob and murder 24-year-old Tony Singh on November 11, 2010.

Mr Singh’s body was found at his Bryngwyn Road flat on November 15, 2010.

The three men deny the charges.

Drummond told the court he asked Mr Singh if he had drugs and Mr Singh asked him to show him money.

He said Mr Singh started getting aggressive and swung for him and he stepped back, but was hit on the forehead and the top of his nose.

Drummond said he then hit Mr Singh on his head with the bar he had up his sleeve and he did not have time to think about what was going on.

He said he thought Mr Singh might have a weapon and was not sure if he had something in his hand.

Drummond said car lights were flashing and he was not sure if there was a gang of people.

The defendant said Mr Singh went to the floor and was on his knees and elbows.

Drummond said Rafiq came up to them from the side of the road and took what he later found to be £15 out of Mr Singh’s back pockets.

Drummond said he pushed his hand in the front pockets and found Mr Singh’s phone, which he said he threw back to him.

He said Rafiq picked up the phone, Mr Singh went tomove and that Rafiq hit Mr Singh twice to the left side of his head.

He said Mr Singh did not appear to be badly injured and that they returned to the van while Mr Singh ran off.

Proceeding.