Man goes on trial for murder of army veteran

The trial was shown CCTV evidence of the attack on the first day

A British Army veteran died in hospital 10 months after being hit by "powerful and cowardly punches" a murder trial has heard.

Lee Woodward, 39, was attacked by 32-year-old Gregory Twigg in Trade Street, Stoke-on-Trent on the night of 24 June 2022, Stafford Crown Court was told.

The assault caused a severe brain injury the Iraq War veteran never recovered from.

The defendant was jailed in September 2022 after pleading guilty to grievous bodily harm with intent and he is now on trial accused of murder after Mr Woodward died from complications arising from his injuries in April 2023.

Outlining the prosecution case on Tuesday, at the start of the planned five-day trial, David Mason KC said Mr Woodward had been on a night out with his fiancee Kate Griffin in Stoke when the attack happened.

He said Twigg, previously of Blurton in Stoke-on-Trent, had punched Mr Woodward, "really hard, not once, not twice, but three times".

CCTV footage was shown to the jury, which showed Mr Woodward leaving The Liquor Vaults pub in Trade Street.

A short time later he was seen to encounter the driver and passengers of a white Vauxhall Astra.

While Mr Woodward talked to the driver, he is seen to be punched three times in the head by Twigg, who had been one of those passengers.

He was approached from the side and the first punch left him looking "like a highly dazed boxer" as he tried to regain his balance, Mr Mason said.

He said Mr Woodward was in "no position to defend himself" from the second, which "sent his head and body into the parked car this time".

Despite the attempts of some women to get Twigg to move away, he then landed a third.

'Intended to cause serious injury'

Mr Mason said: "It was a devastating blow to his head with pinpoint precision, full power and that was it, lights out. He lay motionless on the road, out cold. It was immediately obvious he was very unwell."

The occupants of the car then got back in and left the scene and Mr Woodward was taken to hospital, the trial heard.

He developed a number of complications including an infection in his brain and underwent eight surgeries.

As a result he could only occasionally open his eyes, could not speak and would likely be bed-bound and require full-time care in a nursing home had he survived, Mr Mason said.

Mr Mason said: "We don't say he intended to kill Lee Woodward, but he intended to cause him really serious injury."

"The intention he admitted to having when he was charged with GBH means he is guilty," he added.

Twigg denies murder, and the trial continues.