As the fifth year passes since the murder of brave have-a-go hero Sukhwinder Singh, his killers continue to evade justice.
At an emotional service to remember his life yesterday, the community came together at Singh Sabha London East Gurdwara to grieve the loss of the 31-year-old who was stabbed to death near Barking station after chasing two thieves who mugged a woman.
But Detective Chief Inspector Dave Whellams, who heads the investigation for the Homicide and Major Crime Command, hopes that it will be the final year that the case remains unsolved.
He has renewed pleas for witnesses to come forward with new information that could identify two suspects captured on CCTV and ultimately lead to their convictions.
“The only way this case is going to be solved is through information from the public,” DCI Whellams said. “I urge anybody with information relating to this case, however small, to come forward to us, Crimestoppers or even the Post if they feel more comfortable.”
Grainy CCTV footage shows one of the suspects running north along Uphall Road, away from the junction of Uphall Road and Victoria Road where Sukhwinder is thought to have been stabbed at about 7pm on January 8, 2010. But neither him or another suspect have yet been identified.
One suspect is described as black, 5ft 10in to 6ft tall, skinny, with a young face and wearing a black hooded top and light grey jogging bottoms. The other is thought to be a lighter-skinned black man, 6ft tall, of stocky build with possible facial markings or facial hair. He was wearing a light blue hooded top with markings on the sleeves.
“We think these were a group of lads, youngish teenagers,” DCI Whellams explained. “Over the years,loyalties change and come and go. People fall out with each other and some become good members of society and we are hoping that at some point, someone has it on their conscience.”
Enquiries have indicated that there may have been more than two suspects involved in the robbery and that one or more of the suspects may have still been in the area some 20 minutes after the murder.
Another missing piece of the jigsaw puzzle is the whereabouts of a bag which was snatched during the mugging of a 28-year-old woman in Loxford Road. Although it is believed to have been discarded in a garage area near Charlton Crescent, neither it nor its contents have ever been recovered.
DCI Whellams believes only the smallest of memories could enough to make a difference.
“It sometimes takes just one small piece of a jigsaw to make a link between A and B,” he said. “You never know what that piece is going to be.”
The detective also paid tribute to Sukhwinder, who was given a posthumous police award for his bravery.
“Very unfortunately, through his troubles and his pains he’s been stabbed for doing the right thing, in a way,” DCI Whellams said. “For trying to defend another person, he has paid with his life.”
If you have any information relating to the murder, call the incident room on 020 8345 3775. Alternatively contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or visit crimestoppers-uk.org
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