Man on trial for punching pub owner to death in Lichfield

Summarised from 2 outlets · 3 reports · Updated 30 Oct, 09:09 · Archive

Billy Allison, 36, is accused of killing Matthew O'Gara, 44, with a punch to the neck at a Lichfield bar on 24 May.

Billy Allison, 36, of Solihull, faces trial at Stafford Crown Court charged with murdering Matthew O'Gara, a 44-year-old pub owner, after an incident at Ricco and Loren bar in Lichfield on 24 May. Allison denies the murder charge and also denies section 18 grievous bodily harm with intent to Mr O'Gara's friend Adam Cooper, aged 65. He has admitted alternative charges of manslaughter and inflicting grievous bodily harm.

The prosecution alleges Allison delivered a 'very, very hard' punch to Mr O'Gara's neck with 'the stance and skill of an experienced fighter'. The punch broke several bones in Mr O'Gara's neck and split an artery, causing a massive haemorrhage at the base of his brain, resulting in cardiac arrest. Opening the Crown's case, prosecutor Timothy Hannam KC described the attack as 'completely unprovoked and senseless' on two men whom Allison did not know.

Allison had been visiting Lichfield with friends Ryan Bridge and Ben Cullen, and his girlfriend Charlotte Dean. The prosecution told the jury of seven men and five women that Allison had been drinking throughout the day before the attack and had also taken cocaine at some point that day.

How it is being reported

• Moment murder-accused Billy Allison entered Lichfield bar where pub boss was 'killed by punch'Billy Allison delivered a fatal blow to Matthew O'Gara with the 'stance and skill of an experienced fighter', a jury heardBirminghamLive · 30 Oct, 08:47
• Solihull murder-accused Billy Allison killed pub owner with 'powerful' punch to neck, court hearsThe punch was hard enough to break several bones in Mr O'Gara's neck and split an artery, causing a massive haemorrhage to the base of his brain which resulted him going into cardiac arrest, the court heardBirminghamLive · 28 Oct, 19:05
• Lichfield pub owner killed by punch to neck in ‘unprovoked and senseless attack’, court heardMatthew O'Gara was killed by a punch to the neck at Ricco and Loren bar in Lichfield on May 24.Express & Star · 28 Oct, 18:23

In this story: Billy Allison · Matthew O'Gara · Adam Cooper · Lichfield · Stafford Crown Court · Ricco and Loren

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