Witness describes attack in Norwich manslaughter trial |
Guy Parkinson had been walking down Ketts Hill in Norwich when his attention was drawn to Matthew Griggs, standing outside an address in the road with his partner Sharleen Dowd.
Ketts Hill in Norwich (Image: Peter Walsh, Newsquest)
Mr Griggs was found unresponsive in a tent in woodland at Church Lane, Sprowston, days after he had allegedly twice been attacked by a group of men.
Church Lane, Sprowston (Image: Peter Walsh, Newsquest)
Jonathan Bristow, 46, Daniel Carroll, 29, and John McDonnell, 44, have gone on trial at Norwich Crown Court accused of manslaughter.
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The court has heard the trio, together with Andrew Gough, 47, who is now dead, are said to have attacked Mr Bristow days before he was pronounced dead on the morning of September 23 2023.
Matthew Griggs (Image: Norfolk Constabulary)
Mr Griggs had sustained three rib fractures that resulted in a left-sided haemothorax and collapse of his left lung.
Giving evidence this week, Mr Parkinson told the jury he was walking down Ketts Hill at about 8am on September 19 2023 when he heard "loud, raised male voices".
Matthew Griggs was attacked inside and outside an address on Ketts Hill (Image: Peter Walsh, Newsquest)
He said a man behind the door of an address at the bottom of Ketts Hill - understood to be Bristow - told Mr Griggs, "Get out of my f*****g house" in a "loud" and "aggressive" way.
Jonathan Bristow at an earlier court hearing (Image: Newsquest)
He said Mr Griggs was "leant against the doorway and turned to walk away from the house".
Mr Parkinson said Mr Griggs then appeared to walk off.
He said the other men had been "goading and taunting" Mr Griggs while Bristow, who was the "main" offender, then said "I'm going to f*****g kill you".
Mr Parkinson said he had been one of three men involved, with the others "supporting" Bristow, who had been threatening Mr Griggs initially.
He said a fourth man then walked briskly across the grassed area towards Mr Griggs who was trying to talk to the other three.
The area on Ketts Hill where Matthew Griggs was spoken to by police after being attacked (Image: Peter Walsh, Newsquest)
He said Mr Griggs was being shouted at when the fourth man "punched him from behind" in the back of the head with a "raised, clenched fist".
Mr Parkinson said Mr Griggs "fell to the floor swiftly", landing onto the pavement and into the road.
"It was obvious the punch to the head had knocked him unconscious as he fell straight down," said the witness.
Jurors heard Mr Parkinson went over to assist Mr Griggs and lift him out of the road and put him in the recovery position as he was "unconscious".
The witness, who called police to alert them, said Mr Griggs took less than a minute to regain consciousness
Mr Parkinson was asked by prosecutor Will Carter whether any of the men tried to help Mr Griggs.
Mr Griggs declined any assistance from the police or emergency services at the time before going on his way with his partner.
Mr Parkinson said he again saw Mr Griggs and his girlfriend near the Lollards Pit pub, as he walked along Riverside Road later that morning.
Lollards Pit pub pictured in 2013 (Image: Newsquest)
He said he became aware of the other men on the opposite side of the road as Miss Dowd shouted "cowards" at them.
The trial has heard the prosecution allege that Mr Griggs was attacked by the group twice on September 19 2023.
The first attack allegedly occurred after the accused had returned to a property in Ketts Hill after stealing alcohol from a nearby garage.
They had been angered to find Mr Griggs outside the address, waiting for his girlfriend, as they believed his presence would make the property a target for police, who had been alerted about their shoplifting.
Bristow, latterly of Trafalgar Street, Norwich, Carroll, of no fixed address, and McDonnell, of Recorder Road, Norwich, have all denied the charges.
The court has heard that Gough, formerly of Bussey Road, Old Catton, had also been involved and would have also been on trial had he not since died.