Man jailed for life after murdering elderly mother and trying to bury her in garden

A Leicester man has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 31 years for murdering his 76-year-old mother and attempting to bury her body in their back garden.

Sundeep Singh, 48, was convicted of killing Bhajan Kaur at Leicester Crown Court on Monday following a trial.

Kaur was discovered with “significant” head and face injuries at the property in Bolsover Street, Leicester, on 13 May.

Police found a large hole in the garden of the house where Singh had planned to conceal his mother’s body.

The murder stemmed from disputes over the family home, which Singh believed had been left to him by his late father, according to Leicestershire Police.

At the time of the killing, Singh had been living in his car on the property’s driveway.

Kaur had previously reported her son to police, leading to his arrest on suspicion of controlling and coercive behaviour. Despite being bailed, he was later let into the house by his mother on the day of the murder.

CCTV footage showed Singh purchasing a heavy-duty two-wheeled trolley and spade from a nearby shop after the killing.

When relatives were unable to contact Kaur, they visited the property and discovered her body.

The house had been cleaned thoroughly, with investigators noting a strong smell of disinfectant throughout the property.

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Singh was arrested after being seen leaving the property minutes after police were called.

When detained, he initially claimed to be someone else and denied any knowledge of his mother’s death.

Due to previous police contact between Kaur and Singh, the case was referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).

Two police officers received “individual learning” as a result of the IOPC investigation.

Det Ch Insp Mark Sinski, from the East Midlands Special Operations Unit murder investigation team, called the murder “deeply disturbing”.

Following the verdict, Sinski said: “After killing his mother, Singh went out and bought a sack barrow and spade to dig up the garden – he intended burying Kaur’s body, but was disturbed before he could do that.

“The house had been cleaned and there was a very strong smell of disinfectant.

“There was clear evidence showing the planning after her death.

“When he was approached by officers, he provided false details and had no qualms about misleading them.

“This has been an extremely distressing and challenging time for Kaur’s family. They have been left devastated at the loss of their dear mother.

“They have shown immense courage and dignity throughout the investigation and subsequent legal proceedings.

“It is unfortunate that this case ended with a trial and [that] the family had to sit through the proceedings and listen to the details of Kaur’s final moments.

“This is in no way easy for them they’ve lost a loved one and will now have to live with the fact that Kaur’s life was taken by one of their own.”