A 39-year-old Indian-origin man who killed his mother at her home in Birmingham has been sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 15 years behind bars before being considered for parole.
Surjit Singh had pleaded guilty to killing 76-year-old Mohinder Kaur, who was found to have died of injuries consistent with receiving several blows in September last year.
The sentence was handed down at Birmingham Crown Court on Friday, when it emerged that a row over a television remote control led to an intoxicated Singh fatally attacking his mother.
“This senseless killing has torn apart a family, and our thoughts remain with everyone affected,” said West Midlands Police Detective Inspector Nick Barnes.
Singh, who lived as a carer for his widowed mother at the family home in the Soho area of Birmingham, is said to have lost his temper after she criticised him for being intoxicated.
Cocaine and alcohol were later detected in his blood following the attack, which he informed a relative about before leaving the home. West Midlands Police said the concerned relative phoned the emergency 999 number after which police officers forced their way into the property, where they found Mohinder Kaur lying on the living room floor.
She was taken to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, where she was later pronounced dead. Singh later returned to the scene of the attack and was arrested by officers who were still at the house.
{{/usCountry}}She was taken to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, where she was later pronounced dead. Singh later returned to the scene of the attack and was arrested by officers who were still at the house.
{{/usCountry}}While in custody, he told the police: “I didn’t mean to do it. I just lost my head.”
“Mohinder died as a result of injuries consistent with a number of blows, but it was not clear if a weapon was used or what the motive was,” the police said.
The court later heard how Singh had repeatedly kicked and stamped on his mother after chasing her around.
According to local court reports, the sentencing judge described it as a “sustained attack over a considerable period of time” on an elderly and frail woman who was unable to protect herself.