A JUDGE summing up in the Gurmail Singh murder trial was forced to give a grim warning to the jury.

Having turned to the forensic reports at Bradford Crown Court yesterday, he referred the jurors to pictures of the injuries suffered by the 63-year-old shopkeeper saying they were images “you will probably never forget.’’

Mr Singh, 63, died at his Cowcliffe Convenience Stores on February 20.

In earlier evidence the jury heard he had been battered to death with wine bottles plucked from his own shelves.

Five men have been on trial since the end of August.

They are – Shoaib Khan, 18, of Calton Street, Hillhouse; Umare Aslam, 20, of Coniston Avenue, Dalton; Muawaz Khalid, 20, of Blackmoorfoot Road, Crosland Moor; Nabeel Shafi, 18, of Park Hill, Bradley; and Rehman Afzal, 18, of Jacinth Court, Fartown.

All deny murder.

During his summing-up Justice Henriques explained that the pictures of Mr Singh’s head wounds had been presented in black and white due to their sensitive nature.

He summed up the evidence of Home Office pathologist Professor Peter Vanesis saying: “The post mortem examination took place on February 22 and the cause of death was head injuries. It was his opinion that there were at least seven blows.

“He explained that when blows land at the same location it is impossible to know how many there were, but in his judgement it was a minimum of seven.

“In his judgement the degree of force was substantial and it was a skull of normal thickness.

“Any one of those blows could have caused concussion.

“After one or two blows the victim would go to the ground.”

Ten head injuries were outlined and it was said that the blows came from different directions to the back of the head. This however did not necessarily indicate more than one attacker.

One of the blows to the crown had caused a depressed fracture which had impacted on the brain.

Mr Singh had also suffered defensive-type bruising and swelling to the backs of both hands.