Five men who ‘executed’ a DPD driver as he delivered parcels in broad daylight have been jailed for a total of 122 years.
Aurman Singh, 23, was hacked to death by a gang who were armed with an axe, a hockey stick, a knife, a golf club and a shovel on August 21 last year.
Judge Kristina Montgomery told Stafford Crown Court that Aurman’s murder was a ‘act of horrifying brutality’ and ‘a very public execution’ as she handed out sentences today.
Arshdeep Singh, 24, Jagdeep Singh, 22, Shivdeep Singh, 26, and Manjot Singh, 24, all from the Black Country, were all found guilty of murder following a trial.
The delivery driver was left to die in a pool of blood after he was ambushed by the gang on a street in Shrewsbury.
DPD delivery driver Aurman Singh, 23, (pictured) was bludgeoned to death in a vicious attack in Shrewsbury, on August 21, 2023
This is the dramatic moment police swooped on a gang of thugs who bludgeoned a delivery driver to death with an axe, a golf club, a hockey stick and a metal bar
A police drone filmed the thugs being arrested by armed cops and a dog team who surrounded their Audi getaway car
The group planned the attack after receiving information from ‘inside man’ Sukhmandeep Singh, 23, from Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, who leaked his delivery route.
Judge Montgomery 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.
All four murderers face life in prison for the horrific killing. Pictured: Manjot Singh, 24, (left) and Jagdeep Singh, 23
Shivdeep Singh, 27, (left) Arshdeep Singh, 24, (right) Manjot Singh, 24, and Jagdeep Singh, 23, murdered DPD delivery driver Aurman Singh, 23, in Shrewsbury on August 21, 2023
A fifth man, Sukhmandeep Singh, 25, (pictured) was acquitted of murder but found guilty of manslaughter
‘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 him his bleeding head with the wooden stave.’
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 for manslaughter.
Aurman who was from Smethwick in the West Midlands was pronounced dead 30 minutes after the assault and the four men were arrested as they attempted to flee the scene.
Dramatic footage captured the killers being detained by police after they were caught in their Mercedes Benz and Audi getaway cars.
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.
Police officers and forensic teams attend the scene in Berwick Avenue in Coton Hill, Shrewsbury in August 2023
Doorbell footage also captured the moment the killers fled in two getaway cars after the brutal killing in Berwick Avenue
The gang of four lay in wait before launching a violent attack which police said showed they ‘intended to kill’ the 23-year-old DPD driver. Pictured: Officers outside the scene on Berwick Avenue
‘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.’
