A man accused of beating his father to death with a cricket bat today dramatically pleaded guilty to his murder on the second day of his trial.

Phillip Tajinder Badwal had admitted the manslaughter of 59-year-old Santokh ‘Charlie’ Singh at the family home at Airedale Road, Undercliffe, Bradford, but denied murdering him.

This morning, Badwal, 25, changed his plea to guilty of murder and was remanded back into custody to be sentenced tomorrow afternoon.

Judge Jonathan Rose told him he would receive a mandatory life sentence with a minimum term yet to be determined.

Richard Wright QC for the Crown said victim impact statements would be prepared for the sentencing hearing.

During the trial at Bradford Crown Court, the jury heard that Badwal had killed his father on November 30, 2020, in a “savage and sustained” attack in which he was beaten with a cricket bat, kicked with a shod foot and assaulted with a metal dog bowl.

Despite efforts by paramedics to save him, he was pronounced dead at the scene.

The living room was covered in blood, with multiple attack sites identified, Mr Wright said. Wet blood had been projected on to surfaces while Mr Singh was injured and bleeding.

Post-mortem evidence revealed that Mr Singh had sustained serious injuries to his chest, extensive rib fractures, a fractured sternum and multiple skull fractures. His jaw was broken and his nasal bone shattered. One leg had a broken tibia and fibula.

He had survived for half an hour after the attack began, Mr Wright said.

The police found a heavily bloodstained cricket bat in a neighbour’s garden with DNA on it that matched Mr Singh’s.

Judge Rose invited the jurors to return to court for the sentencing hearing if they wish to do so.