A son who beat his dad to death in their shared home in Bradford will be sentenced later this afternoon.
A jury in Bradford Crown Court has heard how a father was beaten to death by his own child the day after he celebrated his 59th birthday.
Santokh Singh, 59, known as Charlie, was attacked by his son Phillip Badwal, 25, with a cricket bat at their three-bedroom home in Airedale Road in Undercliffe, Bradford, in November 2020.
The court heard he died after suffering fractures to his skull, a broken leg and fractured ribs.
Mr Badwal had denied murdering Mr Singh and pleaded guilty to the lesser offence of manslaughter but yesterday, Wednesday 5 January, his barrister Peter Moulson QC, told the judge that the defendant would now plead guilty to murder.
The court heard Mr Singh had been unhappy in the family home and had spoken about being assaulted by his son on a number of occasions.
On Tuesday, the court heard that Mr Singh had been desperate to move out of the family home he shared with his wife and their youngest son Mr Badwal and on his birthday in November 2020 his older sons, from a previous relationship, had shown him around a new flat they had found for him.
But the next day Mr Badwal subjected his father to a prolonged beating during which he used a cricket bat to rain down blows on his head and body.
Richard Wright QC, the lead prosecutor, said Mr Singh had fractures to the skull, bruising to the brain as well as a broken leg and fractured ribs.
He also alleged Mr Badwal had also kicked and stamped on his father, even changing his footwear during the violence, and had most likely used a metal dog bowl during the beating.
The prosecutor said: “In other words, this was not one short-lived assault, but a prolonged incident in which the injured and bleeding Charlie Singh had likely crawled about the living room as the attack upon him had continued.
“There in the living room of his own home, Charlie Singh had been beaten to death by his own son.”
Mr Wright QC also said the defendant called drug dealer numbers instead of emergency services after the attack.
The prosecutor also said Mr Badwal called 999 on the morning of 30 November explaining his father had come home with his face “all smashed up”.
The court heard that Mr Singh was already dead or dying when paramedics arrived at the property.
Mr Badwal is expected to be sentenced this afternoon after judge Jonothan Rose hears submissions from counsel and is provided with victim impact statements.
