A judge has criticised medical experts after being forced to further delay sentencing a killer.

Balbeer Singh, of Gomersal, was due to be sentenced at Leeds Crown Court yesterday for the manslaughter of Butta Singh.

The father-of-two ran into the Guru Gobind Singh Gurdwara temple in Malvern Street, off Leeds Road, Bradford, on August 31, 1998, armed with two knives.

He stabbed his victim 28 times and also attacked Priest Gurmit Singh who ran to Butta Singh's rescue.

But Judge Brian Walsh QC, the Recorder of Leeds, was unable to proceed as Singh's defence team was still awaiting reports from a medical review team regarding his alleged medical health problems.

He said: "This is costing the public money. The public may think that for these people to take 18 months to decide whether there's a hospital bed available for this person is extraordinary."

Singh has been held at Rampton Hospital in Nottinghamshire since January 17 where he is undergoing medication.

He did not appear in court.

Mr Justice Walsh said: "In May 1999 having heard expert evidence I decided on the appropriate order in this tragic case.

"There are many people who are still upset and anxious about it; the family and the relatives, the community and the temple.

"We are almost 12 months down the road and we're nowhere nearer to implementing the hospital order that I made."

Singh's medical review team were in court but will meet to make their final report on June 27.

He is due to be sentenced on June 30.

Singh, of Gomersal, had denied a charge of murder but accepted an alternative of murder on grounds of diminished responsibility brought on by mental illness.

His defence argued Singh was clinically depressed because of his arranged marriage.

His victim, Butta Singh, of Bradford Moor, Bradford, died in St James's Hospital a week after the attack.

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