Man murdered mum and tried to bury her in garden

A man who murdered his 76-year-old mother and tried to bury her in the back garden has been jailed for at least 31 years.

Bhajan Kaur was found with "significant" head and face injuries, with a large hole discovered in the garden of the property in Bolsover Street, Leicester, on 13 May.

Sundeep Singh had thought the family home was left to him by his late father, and this caused arguments, Leicestershire Police said.

The 48-year-old had been reported to police by Mrs Kaur, and he was previously arrested on suspicion of controlling and coercive behaviour and bailed, before he was let into the house by his mother on the day of the killing.

At the time of the killing, police said Singh had been living in his car on the driveway of the house, and had been let into the property on the day of Mrs Kaur's death.

CCTV evidence showed Singh later going to purchase a heavy duty two-wheeled trolley and spade from a nearby shop.

He then returned to the house and when relatives were unable to get hold of Mrs Kaur, they went to the property and found her body.

Within minutes of the call to police, Singh had been seen leaving the property and when detained, initially claimed he was someone else and denied all knowledge of his mother's death.

Singh was convicted of murder at Leicester Crown Court on Monday after a trial and jailed for life.

Due to previous police contact with Mrs Kaur and Singh, the matter was referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), with two police officers receiving "individual learning" as a result.

Det Ch Insp Mark Sinski, from the East Midlands Special Operations Unit (EMSOU) murder investigation team, said: "He [Singh] intended burying Mrs 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.

"This has been an extremely distressing and challenging time for Mrs Kaur's family, they have been left devastated at the loss of their dear mother."

Follow BBC Leicester on Facebook, on X, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected] or via WhatsApp on 0808 100 2210.