A man from Brightlingsea has been convicted of killing another man during a fight in Colchester last year.
Just after midnight on August 19, two groups in Vineyard Street car park became involved in an argument which quickly escalated to violence.
CCTV showed that as Steven Warburton, 46, leant down to help his wife, who had been knocked to the floor during the scuffle, he was punched by a member of the second group. This caused him to fall backwards with force and hit his head against the pavement.
By the time police arrived on the scene, the second group had left in their car and Mr Warburton was found unconscious. He was taken to hospital in a life-threatening condition and died three-and-a-half weeks later after suffering a traumatic brain injury.
Brodie Groome, 27, of Sydney Street, Brightlingsea, was initially charged with causing grievous bodily harm with intent but following Mr Warburton’s death the charge was amended to manslaughter.
Throughout the investigation, Groome claimed that he acted in self-defence. He stood trial at Ipswich Crown Court and on September 30, 2021, a jury found him guilty of manslaughter. He is due to be sentenced on December 1.
(Report compiled from information supplied by Essex Police)
