A MAN accused of murdering Sikh TV owner Gagandip Singh beat him so badly he thought he had broken his hand, a court has heard.

Mr Singh, aged 21, of Langdale Crescent, Bexleyheath, died on February 26.

His body was found in the boot of a blue Mercedes C-class in Angerstein Lane, Blackheath, at around 2am after the vehicle had been set alight.

Mundill Mahil of Regent Guest House, Maidstone Road, Harinder Shoker (referred to as Ravi) of Charlton Park Lane, Charlton, and Darren Peters, of Shooters Hill Road, Blackheath, all aged 20, deny murder.

One of Mahil's housmates, Live Thorsen gave evidence at the Old Bailey.

She told jurors that on February 23 Mahil had gone to see Ravi and one of his gangster friends.

It is alleged that Mahil lured Mr Singh to her home in Brighton on February 25 where Ravi and Peters lay in wait.

Miss Thorsen told the court that she had been out for a birthday meal that night and upon her return she found Mahil standing in the hallway blocking the way downstairs to her room.

Miss Thorsen said: "I could hear some noises downstairs and thought maybe she (Mahil) wanted to stop people from going downstairs.

Prosecutor Aftab Jafferjee asked Miss Thorsen to describe the noise.

She said: "It reminded me of when the neighbours were remodelling, like someone was trying to tear down the house. "

"Like a loud fight."

Jurors heard that Mahil had told Miss Thorsen that she had been instructed to call Mr Singh to the house, get him inside and then into her bedroom.

The prosecution alleges after Mr Singh was lead to the room he was set upon by Ravi and Peters.

After the two men had finished beating up Mr Singh they wrapped him in Mahil's duvet, carried him out through the basement door and dumped him in the boot of his sister's car, the court heard.

Miss Thorsen told jurors that she recalls having heard recycling bins on the patio being disturbed and Mahil running to the front door. Miss Thorsen said : "She (Mahil) said, she thinks he has broken his hand.

"I asked her if it was Ravi and she said 'yes'."

The jury heard that Mahil spent that night in Miss Thorsen's room and had spent more than an hour on the phone with Ravi.

Jurors have heard that after Mr Singh attempted to rape Mahil in August last year, she would only refer to him as 's***face'.

When asked by Mr Jafferjee if Mahil had said anything to her the following morning that stood out, Miss Thorsen said: "She mentioned that if s***face had been put in the car and if that car had been set on fire and it had rained, he would be ok."

Peters and Ravi are alleged to have driven Mr Singh to Blackheath where they torched the car in the early hours of February 26.

The trial continues.