Friend denies manslaughter charge after ‘finding trashed room’
AMAN allegedly punched his friend, resulting in his death after returning to their hotel to find he had ‘trashed’ their room, a trial has heard.
Liam O’brien, 37, is charged with a single offence of manslaughter after Craig Fitzpatrick, 33, died following an assault in Heywood.
Jurors at Minshull Street Crown Court were told that Mr O’brien, of Liverpool, had booked into a two-day training session on installing flooring, which ran from January 13 to January 14 this year.
He had arranged to stay over at the Village Hotel in Bury, and his friend, Mr Fitzpatrick had driven him over there on the evening of January 12, prosecutor Robert Dudley said.
During the night, Mr Fitzpatrick was seen going down to reception, with both men leaving the hotel at 2.30am and returning at 4.30am, the prosecutor said.
The next morning Mr Fitzpatrick dropped Mr O’brien off for the course where he stayed all day until he got a lift back at around 4.15pm, the court heard.
Mr Fitzpatrick went back to the hotel and later complained about his hotel room key not working, it was said. Staff issued him with a new hotel room key and during the day he had a conversation with a friend about allegedly having the hallucinogenic drug DMT and allegedly having half a bottle of gin in his room.
At 2.20pm he went back to reception and appeared ‘intoxicated’ and reception cut another hotel room key for him, the prosecutor said.
At 3pm staff responded to reports from hotel maintenance and went to the second floor where they saw that Mr Fitzpatrick was in the corridor, allegedly shirtless and ‘swaying around’ with a fire extinguisher in each hand, it was said.
He was led back to his room, but later staff were delivering fresh towels nearby when they saw the room door swing open which was reported to the reception manager, jurors heard.
They came back to the corridor to find Mr Fitzpatrick standing outside his room, only wearing shorts and ‘swinging’ fire extinguishers’ around, it was alleged.
Staff told him to put the extinguishers down and go back to his room, and he did so, the court heard. The reception manager and maintenance manager went to the room, and after receiving no reply from Mr Fitzpatrick, they went inside to find the TV had been ripped off the wall and the wall sockets had been cracked.
It became apparent that Mr Fitzpatrick was in the bathroom and they asked him to leave, but there was a limited reply, it was said.
When Mr O’brien got back to the hotel room at around 4.50pm, he asked staff what was going on and went into the room and was ‘clearly surprised and angry’ at the state of it, Mr Dudley said.
He said: “What the f*** has he done to my room...he’s a cheeky c***,” and apologised to the staff, jurors heard.
Hotel staff and Mr O’brien were able to get into the bathroom where they found Mr Fitzpatrick asleep on the shower tray and Mr O’brien was seen to move his foot towards Mr Fitzpatrick’s stomach which caused him to get up and into a ‘fighting stance’, it was said.
Words were exchanged, and Mr O’brien said: “What the f*** are you doing, what have you done.”
There was a scuffle and Mr O’brien allegedly punched Mr Fitzpatrick, after which he ‘slumped’ against the wall and slid down.
Mr O’brien was said to be acting ‘angrily and erratically’ and staff asked him to calm down and leave the room.
Mr O’brien left the hotel, but later attended by appointment at Bury police station, during which he explained Mr Fitzpatrick had driven him to the hotel, that he had wanted a drink so they had vodka and gin along with some cocaine and some DMT, jurors heard.
He said he had slept from about 4am until 8am and then Mr Fitzpatrick had dropped him off at the course.
Mr Fitzpatrick then phoned him saying that he needed some cocaine, and Mr O’brien later got a lift back from the course from his tutor, and when he got back he found the room was ‘trashed’, it was said.
He said the bathroom door was locked and he tried to knock on the door to try and rouse Mr Fitzpatrick but couldn’t so he left, but later came back and shook him awake, during which he took a ‘fighting stance’ and looked at him in a ‘weird way’, Mr Dudley said.
Mr O’brien said he thought Mr Fitzpatrick was going to hit him, so punched him to the face once with each hand, the court heard. He said he didn’t intend to hurt him, and added that he panicked after leaving the room, called his girlfriend and got a taxi, it was said.
Mr Fitzpatrick died on January 16, and a post mortem report concluded that he died as a result of a traumatic basal subarachnoid haemorrhage which is ‘most commonly caused by a blow or blows to the head’.
On January 18, Mr O’brien was arrested at his home address and interviewed, in which point he confirmed he had shaken Mr Fitzpatrick but hadn’t kicked or stamped on him.
He said he thought Mr Fitzpatrick was going to hit him, so he hit him first, throwing ‘three or four punches’ to the face, Mr Dudley continued.
“When it was suggested that he could have left the bathroom he said that it was a fight or flight situation,” he said. “The prosecution case is clear - the defendant was angry and upset at what he saw when he got back to the hotel and lashed out at Mr Fitzpatrick.
“We agree and accept that he did not intend to cause really serious harm, but, we say, it was the act of punching him to the head, resulting in the head injury that killed Mr Fitzpatrick.”
Mr O’brien, of Leyfield Road, Liverpool, denies manslaughter. ●
PROCEEDING
ST MARY’S, BALDERSTONE
WE’D love you to join us for our morning service tomorrow.
Our new curate James Greenfield will also be ordained.
As James and the Rev Wilkinson will be at the Cathedral, Mr Richard Shales will be preaching.
He’ll be exploring John chapter fourteen, verses one to fourteen.
Sunday School will be available. There are groups for children aged four to eleven.
Light refreshments are served in the parish room after the service.
If you are visiting do join us for a chat.
It is with great joy that we look forward to James joining us together with his family, as he starts his role as curate both here in Balderstone and at our sister churches in Chadderton.
Please hold James, Helen and William in your prayers as they start to settle into their new home.
Tomorrow evening our weekly prayer gathering is at Christ Church, Block Lane, Chadderton, OL9 7QB.
If you can’t come in person, you have the option of joining via Zoom.
If you require the Zoom meeting details please contact us via Facebook.
SMURFS (St Mary’s Under Fives) had a wonderful time at the zoo last week but this week we are back to our usual slot on a Tuesday afternoon.
We meet in the parish room between 1.30pm and 3.30pm.
We’re not quite ready to say goodbye to the zoo fun yet so this week in craft corner we’ll be making an animal craft and thinking about the beauty of God’s creation.
‘ Passion for Life’ small group Bible studies are on Wednesday evening,
7.20pm-9pm, in the building or via Zoom and Thursday evening,
7.20pm-9pm, via Zoom only.
For further information, please get in touch by email at stmarysbalderstone@ gmail.com or see our facebook page on www. facebook.com/ saintmarysbalderstone/
ST LUKE’S, DEEPLISH
ST Luke’s Church, Deeplish, will hold a Service of the Word on July 3 at 10am.
Monday, July 4, 11am, is Bible Study on Zoom.
Wednesday, July 6, 11am, is the Morning Praise service on Zoom, and 2pm is Board Games Club.
Several board games will be out as well as Scrabble.
If you don’t know how to play Scrabble but would like to learn, or you are an experienced player who wants to have a couple of hours of friendly social chat and a game of scrabble, come along.
No need to book, just turn up.
Thursday, July 7, 10am, is Zumba.
You need to book, please contact Catherine. szymanskyj2@ yourtrustrochdale.com or ring 07814 712 271.
We look forward to welcoming our regular members and anyone who would like to join our very friendly, caring congregation.
For further information please see our webpage on www. rochdaleonline. co. uk/ sites/ saint- luke- church
ST ANDREW’S, DEARNLEY
WE enjoyed a special presentation last Sunday when we helped our regular congregation’s senior citizen, Marjorie Greenhalgh, to celebrate her 101st birthday.
It isn’t every day we get the opportunity to laud the life of someone like Marjorie, a St Andrew’s regular for more than 50 years and still going strong.
The Rev Rachel presented her with a bouquet of flowers on behalf of the St Andrew’s ‘ family’ and then we shared a special birthday cake with her, her daughter Leslie and son- in- law John.
Her secret for a long life?
“Keep smiling, and keep going,” said Marjorie, who was originally from Heywood before she and her late husband moved to Dearnley in the 1960s.
Calling all PCC members: if you are on the PCC and/or have a role within church and have not completed DBS and Safeguard Training please attend our drop- in session today, Saturday, July 2, between 9am and 2pm.
If you have a laptop take it with you.
Our mid-summer afternoon tea for the Mothers Union is also to be held today.
ST CHAD’S AND ST MARY IN THE BAUM
ST Chad’s, on Sparrow Hill, overlooking the town centre and the historic Town Hall, has been Rochdale’s Parish Church for over 800 years.
Together with our sister church, St Mary in the Baum, we provide largely traditional forms of Anglican worship and you are warmly welcome to join us on Sundays.
Tomorrow, Sunday, July 3, is the 3rd Sunday after Trinity.
A joint service of Choral Eucharist is at St Chad’s at 11.15am, when the celebrant is Fr Darren Quinlan and the preacher is the Vicar, the Rev Anne Gilbert.
There is no service at St Mary’s, as this is the first occasion on which Fr Darren will preside over the Eucharist.
On Wednesday next, July 6, at St Mary’s at 12.30pm, the Toad Lane Lunchtime Concert features international pianist Ellada-angelina Pavlou. Admission is £ 6. On Wednesdays and Thursdays throughout the summer, from 2pm to 4pm, St Chad’s, Rochdale’s oldest building, is open to the public.
Visitors are welcome and donations would be appreciated.
Sunday next, July 10, is the 4th Sunday after Trinity.
Morning Service is at St Mary’s at 9.15am and Choral Mattins at St Chad’s at 11.15am.
Both services are led by Hannah Currin and the preacher is the Vicar, the Rev Anne Gilbert.
ROCHDALE UNITARIANS
FOLLOWING our sold- out afternoon tea event in May, the main event this month is the Summer Lunch, which will be held on Saturday, July 9, from 11.45am.
Spaces are limited and £ 10 admission tickets need to be booked in advance.
For further details, please leave a message on 01706 648 461 or see our social media page and the church website. Don’t miss out! Here are the Sunday service dates for Rochdale Unitarians in July.
All services begin at 10.30am.
July 3 – led by the Rev Helen Mills.
July 10 – led by the Rev Abi Elliott- Mcguffie.
July 17 – worship will be followed by the Congregational AGM and a jacobs join lunch.
July 24 – led by the Rev Abi Elliott- Mcguffie.
July 31 – led by Paul Hubbard.
There will be tea, coffee and the opportunity to chat and meet friends after the end of each service.
You are warmly invited to join us – let no one be a stranger here!
LITTLEBOROUGH UNITED REFORM
LITTLEBOROUGH United Reform Church in Victoria St welcomes Mrs Brenda Jones to take the service.
We would like to see young worshipers to come and join us for worship and enjoy our friendly congregation.
After the service is tea/ coffee/ biscuits.
On Wednesdays there is armchair yoga
11.30am-12.30pm and on Thursdays is Tai- Chi
1.30pm-2.30pm.
THE BENEFICE OF LITTLEBOROUGH
THE Third Sunday after Trinity, services are as follows.
Sunday, July 3, 9am, is Holy Communion at St. Barnabas’s, Shore,
10.15am is Holy Communion at Holy Trinity and 11.30am is Holy Communion at St. James’s, Calderbrook.
Wednesday midweek Benefice Service is at St. Barnabas’s, Shore at
12.30pm. Saturday, July 9, is the Benefice Summer Fayre.
Our three Churches come together to celebrate a joint Summer Fayre at Holy Trinity Church, 10am-2pm.
Please come along and join us at our services and Summer Fayre.
You will be warmly welcomed.
For further information please visit www. cofe- littleborough. co. uk or ring 01706 375 322 and leave a message.