Reveller’s ‘car crash injuries’
A REVELLER who died after coming home from a night out had suffered injuries of the kind usually found in road traffic collisions, jurors were told. Hedley Plummer, 37, has gone on trial accused of murdering Noel White, 28, in an attack in Withington. Mr Plummer, of no fixed address, denies murder.
Jurors heard that both men had been out on the night of Friday, June 15, and arrived at Indigo nightclub in Withington before 2am on Satur- day. The pair had a ‘verbal disagreement’ outside the club, prosecutor Neil Usher said.
Moments later, they walked off together to a car park behind Moon Indian restaurant on Wilmslow Road, the court was told.
Prosecutors allege that Mr Plummer attacked Mr White in the car park, repeatedly punching and stamping on him.
Mr Plummer is expected to say that he was acting in self-defence.
Opening the case for the prosecution, Mr Usher said: “What happened when the two of them arrived at the pedestrian entrance to the car park isn’t clear.
“What is clear, say the prosecution, is that the confrontation between the two ended with the defendant punching and stamping on Mr White, at a time when Mr White was unconscious on the floor.”
Jurors were told that Mr White had taken cocaine and cannabis before his death, and had been drinking in the Red Lion pub in Withington.
It was also claimed Mr White had been seen behaving in a ‘boorish and aggressive manner’ by a number of people that night. Shortly before 2am Mr White arrived at Indigo, and after closing time a friend saw him arguing with Mr Plummer outside.
Mr White was said to be ‘in the face’ of Mr Plummer, who in turn was ‘laughing.’
Another man said: “Chill out, you don’t need to be fighting.”
During the confrontation Mr White told Mr Plummer ‘I’ll bang you out,’ and ‘don’t think you’re bad.’
Mr White was then heard to say to Mr Plummer: “Come on, let’s go for a little walk and get away from here.”
They both went to the car park, and a group of others followed. Prosecutors said no one saw what happened first, but an onlooker heard a ‘loud thud.’
He ran over and saw Mr White on his back, with Mr Plummer standing over and punching him ‘very hard’ to the head and face, prosecutors allege.
They say Mr Plummer stamped on Mr White’s rib cage and heart area, then to his face, using ‘considerable force.’
As Mr White lay unconscious, the ambulance was called for. But a friend decided it would be better to take Mr White home. He came in and out of consciousness during the journey, jurors heard.
His friends asked a neighbour if they would keep an eye on him, but Mr White declined help in ‘forthright terms.’
Later that day, at 7.40pm, he called for an ambulance and told the operator he didn’t feel well.
The ambulance arrived at his home at 7.52pm. He was declared dead at 8.53pm after going into cardiac arrest.
A post-mortem examination found that among his injuries, including fractured ribs, a fractured jaw and cuts and bruises, his small bowel had been ‘lacerated completely,’ said to be unusual in cases of assault and more common in ‘high-energy impacts’ such as road crashes.
Mr Plummer was arrested two days later, and declined to answer questions in interview with police, the court heard.
MURDER TRIAL TOLD MAN, 28, SUFFERED INJURIES OF THE KIND USUALLY FOUND IN ROAD TRAFFIC COLLISIONS