Man jailed for killing dad with champagne bottle in Southgate

A man has been jailed for life for bludgeoning his father to death with a champagne bottle in north London.

Deekan Singh Vig was previously found guilty of murdering his father Arjan Singh Vig, 86, at the family home in Southgate, north London, in 2021.

The victim's body was found on his son's bedroom floor surrounded by blood-stained bottles and with his "head caved in", the Old Bailey heard.

Vig, 54, was sentenced to serve a minimum of 18 years in prison.

Jurors heard Vig had lived with his father and mother Damanjit Vig, 85, in their four-bedroom detached home.

The trial was told the defendant had developed a taste for alcohol during lockdown.

On 30 October 2021, Mr and Mrs Vig had returned home and settled in front of the television when they heard vomiting noises coming from their son's room.

Her son told her that night he had consumed half a bottle of whisky, jurors were told.

The court heard the last thing she saw was her husband comforting their son, but she had then called her daughter and dialled 999 because Vig appeared "out of control" and "drunk".

When officers arrived, the defendant said he could not open the door, saying: "You're too late. He's been dead for an hour."

They then saw Mr Vig's head had been "severely caved in" and it was obvious he was dead on entering the room, the jury heard.

Later, Vig wept as he explained that he had "killed my dad" having "hit him over the head" with "a bottle of Bollinger champagne".

"Why did I kill my dad?" the court was told he said.

At the crime scene, police found a further 10 Amazon delivery boxes of whisky and an empty bottle of Talisker Scotch on the bed, the jury heard.

Vig had denied murder but admitted manslaughter on the second day of his trial on the basis that he did not intend to cause his father really serious harm.

But the jury rejected his explanation that he had autism and his father had attacked him and found him guilty of murder.

Follow BBC London on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected]