Aurman Singh: Five men who killed DPD driver during Shrewsbury parcel delivery jailed

Five men have been sentenced to a total of 122 years in prison for the murder of a DPD driver, Aurman Singh, who was brutally attacked in broad daylight while making deliveries. The assailants, armed with various weapons including an axe, hockey stick, knife, golf club, and shovel, ambushed Aurman, leaving him fatally wounded on the roadside in Shrewsbury.

The court heard that Aurman had no chance against the coordinated assault. Arshdeep Singh, Jagdeep Singh, Shivdeep Singh, and Manjot Singh, all hailing from the Black Country, were convicted of murder, while Sukhmandeep Singh, from Peterborough, Cambs, who leaked the victim's delivery route, was found guilty of manslaughter. They were sentenced at Stafford Crown Court on Friday (April 12). Judge Kristina Montgomery told the court the murder of Aurman had been an "act of horrifying brutality" and "a very public execution". She said the the weapons had been “carefully curated” to cause the maximum damage when “wielded with fervent aggression”.

She said: “All but Shivdeep Singh jumped out and ran towards him. Each of them was concealing their face with a mask and each of them carrying a weapon. Between them they had an axe, golf club, wooden stave, metal club, hockey stick, shovel and a knife. Aurman Singh was felled and attacked by these defendant's by their weapon of choice.

"Jagdeep Singh chopped into Aurman Singh's head three times with the axe. Blows of such ferocity they penetrated his skull. He was clubbed over the head by Arshdeep Singh with the golf club and with such force that it fractured his skull. Manjot Singh struck his bleeding head with the wooden stave." She added that the men then "left him to die on the side of the road”. She told Arshdeep Singh, Manjot Singh and getaway driver Shivdeep Singh, who "bore equal responsibility", they must serve at least 28 years in prison. She told Sukhmandeep Singh without his "contribution the plan it could not have been carried out with such predicted efficacy" and jailed him for 10 years.

Aurman, of Smethwick, West Midlands, was pronounced dead 30 minutes after the assault and the four men were arrested as they travelled back to the West Midlands. Dramatic footage captured the killers fleeing in their Mercedes Benz and Audi getaway cars and also the moment they were detained by police.

Prosecutor Simon Denison KC said: "There was a significant degree of planning and premeditation. The evidence showed that Arshdeep Singh was at the centre of what happened but they all played their part."

Detective Chief Inspector Mark Bellamy, of West Mercia Police, said after the case: “I am pleased that significant sentences have been handed to these men for the brutal murder of Aurman Singh. These five men are dangerous individuals who will now serve a considerable sentence in prison where they cannot cause further harm to the wider public.

“We are incredibly grateful for the support from local residents and those who provided vital information to assist with our investigation and gave evidence in court. Aurman’s family have understandably been left shattered, when he was tragically killed in a planned and brutal attack in Shrewsbury, and my thoughts and condolences remain with them.

“Today’s sentence 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. This was a complex investigation which saw us work with police forces across the country and I’d like to thank the investigation team and those involved for their hard work and commitment.”

Aurman's family said in a statement: "There are no words that could ever explain the impact this tragedy has had on me and my family. Today a mother will grow old without her son. A sister will grow up without her brother. We don’t want what has happened to us to happen to another family.

"It is an unbearable loss for us which has changed our lives. My daughter and myself will be living our lives for the sake of it but our happiness and the will to live is not there. We would like to thank the police for conducting their investigation diligently and supporting us through this tough time."