A builder who stabbed and killed three of his attackers has been let off in self-defense, the first person in the UK to avoid triple killing manslaughter charge.
Gurjeet Singh, 30, was attacked by five men armed with knives and survived after killing three of them in an East London alleyway.
Singh was arrested for murder, but only charged with possession of a knife, a charge Snaresbrook Crown Court later cleared him of.
A CCTV footage showed Singh “went all Bruce Lee” as he fought for his life. The aftermath of the carnage in Seven Kings, near Ilford, on January 19 was said to resemble a warzone.
Singh who had a Kirpan (a ceremonial dagger carried by Sikh as symbol of faith) on him during the bloody clash, which lasted 13 seconds and left Baljit Singh, 34, Narinder Singh, 26, and Harinder Kumar, 22 dead. Singh suffered cuts to his head, forehead and a crush injury to his head believed to have come from a hammer.
The violence is understood to have been sparked after the Sikh men, mainly labourers, fell out with Singh over a business deal and money, the five attackers followed Singh from his local Gurdwara – Sikh temple – in Ilford after a row the night before at a venue called Krystel Banqueting.
Two men who survived the botched attack on Singh were sentenced in August.
Sandeep Singh, 29, a labourer from Romford, was jailed for four years for wounding with intent.
And his brother, Harpreet, 27, the gang’s getaway driver, was jailed for 1 year, both brothers will be deported to India after their jail sentence as they have overstayed their visitor’s visas.
A police spokesman said: “The Crown Prosecution Service decided that Mr Singh was entirely justified in using the force that he did – he had been attacked in a deliberate and calculated way with weapons, and had instinctively and proportionately responded to the threat he faced.
“He is, therefore, not guilty of murder or manslaughter.”
The law in England, Wales or Northern Ireland permit the use of “reasonable force” to defend themselves if a crime is taking place at their home.