Two get life sentences for murder of pub landlord

Swinder Singh Batth, 47, was hit by a "poorly aimed" bullet fired by a hooded gunman at someone else outside his bar in Bilston, West Midlands, on July 28 last year.

Jasbir Singh Takhar and Sukwinder Singh Sanghera were sentenced to life with a minimum of 29 and 28 years respectively at Birmingham Crown Court.

Takhar, 23, of Coseley, West Midlands, and Sanghera, 24, of West Bromwich, were both convicted of murder unanimously by a jury on Thursday after an eight-week trial.

Mr Batth was shot dead just after midnight on July 28 2009 outside Gavin's Bar in Bilston where the married father-of-four was the licensee.

During the trial, prosecutor Christopher Hotten QC said Mr Batth died minutes after being shot in the chest following an earlier dispute near the bar over a laser pen shone at a car.