UK man has been convicted of killing a Sikh taxi driver in a dispute over the payment mode of his fare. Tomasz Margol, 36, was found guilty at Wolverhampton Crown Court this week of the manslaughter of 59-year-old Anakh Singh.
The court heard that Singh had picked up Margol in his taxi in Wolverhampton on October 22, 2022. The two men got into an argument over how Margol would pay for the fare, with Margol refusing to pay by card. The argument escalated, and Margol headbutted, punched, and kicked Singh, causing him to fall to the ground and hit his head. Singh died from his injuries a short time later.
Margol was arrested and charged with murder. However, he was found guilty of manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility. The prosecution argued that Margol was suffering from a mental health disorder at the time of the attack. But the jury found that he was not so mentally impaired that he did not know what he was doing.
Margol will be sentenced on July 14. He faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
This is a tragic case in which a simple disagreement over payment turned deadly. It is a reminder of the importance of resolving disputes peacefully, and of the potential consequences of violence. My thoughts are with the family and friends of Anakh Singh.
