Witness tells Ayr murder trial she saw accused stabbing victim

A woman’s told a jury she saw murder accused Jagtar Singh run towards a restaurant manager and stab him.

56 year-old Sonya Higgins from Ayr, was giving evidence at the trial of brothers 51 year-old Jagtar Singh – known as Tony - Jaspal Singh, 54, from Slough, Berkshire, and their friend Balwant Singh, 58, from Dalmellington, Ayrshire.

They all deny murdering 38-year-old Ansar Shah by repeatedly stabbing him at the car park of the Armaan Restaurant in Seafield Road, Ayr, on October 4, 1993.

Mrs Higgins told the High Court in Glasgow that in 1993 she was married to Havez Sharif, who worked at the Ayr restaurant and was detained by the immigration authorities after a phone call.

She said that staff at the Armaan Restaurant thought the call had been made by Jaspal Singh and Balwant Singh.

As a result a meeting was arranged at the Armaan Restaurant at midnight on October 3, 1993. All three accused turned up by car. When they arrived staff from the restaurant came out.

Mrs Higgins told prosecutor Richard Goddard that she was in the car park when the arranged meeting took place.

She said initally there were raised voices and then a fight broke out and someone from the restaurant was waving a baseball bat or a cricket bat.

Mr Goddard asked her: 'Did you see any other weapons,” and she replied: “Yes. A knife. Tony Singh had it. .”

The prosecutor said: “What did he do with the knife,” and she sobbed as she responded: “He ran towards Shah and stabbed him.”

Mrs Higgins was asked if Mr Shah was stabbed once or more than once and said: “I think more than once, but I'm not 100 per cent. He stabbed him on the left side of his chest. It looked like a kitchen knife. He just fell to the ground.:

Mr Goddard asked: “What was Mr Shah doing when he was repeatedly stabbed,” and Mrs Higgins told him: “Nothing, he was just standing there. He wasn't involved in the fighting."

All three men deny murder. Jagtar Singh also denies attempting to defeat the ends of justice by changing his clothing and fleeing to England.

The trial before judge Lord Beckett continues.