Teenager locked up for robbing murdered shopkeeper

The 17-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, admitted robbing Gurmail Singh of cigarettes at the shop in the Cowcliffe area on February 18.

The robbery happened two days before 63-year-old Mr Singh was attacked and killed in his store.

He suffered serious head injuries on the evening of Saturday February 20 - probably inflicted by a hammer - and died in hospital early the following morning.

Huddersfield Youth Court heard how the teenager, who appeared in court wearing a black polo T-shirt, black jeans and black trainers, and an unnamed friend were wearing disguises as they entered Mr Singh's store on the evening of February 18.

Chairwoman of the bench Eileen Marchant said a custodial sentence was the only one that could be passed on the teenager because of the seriousness of the offence.

She told the youth he would serve the first three months of his sentence in secure accommodation where he would undergo training, after which time he would be released and made to serve the remaining three months in the community.

The teenager, who had been working towards his A-levels before the incident but has since ceased his studies, had fraught family relations that meant he had no background support on which to rely, his solicitor Mark Brookes said.

Before he was sentenced, the teenager was given the opportunity to address the court, and said: "I made a big mistake when I did this thing and I can't change what I did, but I can change the future, if you know what I mean."

Muawaz Khalid, 20, Umare Aslam, 20, and three 17-year-old boys who cannot be named, have already appeared in court charged with the murder of Mr Singh and robbery. All five are awaiting trial.