One of the men accused of murdering a restaurant manager almost 25 years ago was sacked by him. A court heard chef Jaspal Singh was fired six months before Ansar Shah was killed outside the Armaan Restaurant in Ayr, South Ayrshire.
Owner Shahid Hassan, 59, told the High Court in Glasgow Mr Shah dismissed Mr Singh in April 1993. Jaspal Singh, 54, Jagtar Singh, 51, and Balwant Singh, 58, all deny murdering Mr Shah, 38, on 4 October, 1993. All three are accused of repeatedly stabbing him and kicking him on the body.
Mr Hassan, 59, told prosecutor Richard Goddard that he owned the Armaan restaurant, on Seafield Road, in 1993. He confirmed he employed Mr Shan as a manager and Jaspal Singh, whose nickname was Pally, as a chef.
Asked if Jaspal Singh was sacked, Mr Hussain replied: "Yes, Mr Shah the manager sacked him because he wasn't doing his job properly. He did it while I was away on holiday in April 1993."
Mr Hussain, who works as a chef and taxi driver, told the court he received a phone call on 4 October, 1993 telling him there had been an incident and the manager was dead.
Jaspal Singh and Jagtar Singh, from Slough, Berkshire, and Balwant Singh, from Dalmellington, Ayrshire, all deny murder. Jagtar Singh also denies attempting to defeat the ends of justice by changing his clothing and fleeing to England.
The trial continues.
