Jury clears father of slashing friend’s throat

MAN HAD TOLD COURT HE WAS STUNNED TO BE WRONGLY ACCUSED

A FATHER has been cleared by a jury of attempting to murder a friend whose throat was badly severed in a knife attack.

Gurpinder Singh was also found not guilty of an alternative offence of wounding with intent.

When he gave evidence in his defence at Leicester Crown Court, he said he was “stunned” to have been wrongly accused.

He blamed a mystery assailant for slashing the neck of his 23-year-old friend, who needed emergency hospital treatment.

The prosecution alleged that 32-year-old Singh inflicted a 13cmlong life-threatening wound during a drunken fit of anger.

Singh was alleged to have held a grudge against his friend’s younger brother, who had a brief relationship with Singh’s sister, and allegedly ended up venting his anger on the wrong brother.

Caroline Bradley, prosecuting, claimed Singh joined the two brothers and another man for outdoor drinks to celebrate the younger brother’s birthday at a countryside spot in Covert Lane, Scraptoft, on the evening of July 25 last year.

She alleged Singh, of New Romney Crescent, Scraptoft, had earlier made threats against the younger brother and, after drinking whisky at the remote spot, grabbed the younger brother’s throat.

When the older brother intervened, Singh was said to have produced a Stanley-type knife and cut the older brother’s neck.

They then all went to Leicester Royal Infirmary – where the alleged victim claimed to have been attacked by a masked and hooded stranger, who arrived on the scene by car.

After being discharged from hospital, the complainant then changed his account, telling the police there was no stranger involved and that Singh was his alleged attacker.

Singh was also cleared by the jury of five men and seven women of threatening to kill his friend’s brother and common assault upon him.

Singh said during his trial that none of the allegations against him were true and that he did not know why he was being wrongly accused by his former close friend, which had left him “stunned”.

The jury deliberated for eight hours over three days before first acquitting Singh of attempted murder.

Three hours later they cleared him of the alternative intentional wounding charge.

Singh told the court there was no animosity about his friend’s younger brother having had a relationship with his sister and the small group were in a “happy mood” during the outdoor birthday celebration.

He denied being armed with a knife or showing violence towards anyone that evening.

He claimed the unknown knifeman had arrived by car and then sped away from the scene.

He did not witness the slashing attack and was “in shock” and “scared” when he saw his friend bleeding heavily from his neck.

Singh, who was arrested and remanded into custody after the event told the jury the allegations against him were “complete lies”.

Singh claimed his friend told him at the scene that a man had approached him asking for the time, before suddenly producing a knife and “hit me with it”.

He said his friend told him: “I don’t know this person. He was wearing a mask and had a hoodie on.”

Singh said he did not apologise at the scene or say he had “made a mistake,” as the prosecution alleged, because he had done nothing wrong.