A COVENTRY man accused of being involved in a disturbance at Leamington’s Sikh temple which led to 55 people being arrested will appear at Warwick Crown Court.
During a brief hearing at Warwickshire magistrates’ court in Leamington, Kulvinder Bir Singh, aged 37 of Tilehurst Drive, said he would be pleading not guilty to a charge of religiously aggravated damage.
The charge follows a ‘mass demonstration’ at the Gurdwara Sahib temple in Tachbrook Park Drive, Leamington, on September 11 last year in protest at a mixed marriage being held at the temple.
Prosecutor John Bartlett said Singh allegedly entered the premises and pulled down signs relating to that ceremony.
When told his case could either be heard by magistrates or at crown court, Mr Singh said he wanted to be tried at crown court.
But he complained: “The evidence against me has not been given to my solicitor, so I have not had an opportunity to see the evidence against me.
Mr Bartlett said this was because a previous hearing had been adjourned.
Earlier this month another man 33-year-old Gursharan Singh from Holbrooks, Coventry, who is facing a charge of religiously aggravated common assault arising from the same protest, had his case sent to the crown court for trial.
And Singh was told it would be for a judge at the crown court to decide whether the two cases should be joined together or dealt with separately.
He was granted unconditional bail and will appear at Warwick Crown Court for a plea and trial preparation hearing on February 24.
