Ryan Passey: Family welcome review into nightclub stabbing case

The mother of a man killed in a nightclub has described him as a "happy person" who "wanted to go places" and didn't "look for trouble".

West Midlands Police's handling of the case is to be reviewed by another force, following the stabbing of Ryan Passey in Stourbridge in 2017.

A man was cleared of Mr Passey's murder and manslaughter in 2018.

West Midlands Police said it remained confident "all appropriate avenues were explored into Ryan's death".

News of the review has been welcomed by Mr Passey's family, who said they felt failed by the justice system.

The 24-year-old was fatally wounded in the Chicago's nightclub in Stourbridge in August 2017.

Mother Gillian Taylor said there was a memorial stone at a church in Wollaston, but the family had not laid his ashes to rest, saying they "weren't ready".

Adrian Passey said his son's bedroom was "still exactly the same" as it had been, even including his wallet and the cash he went out with on the night.

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Ryan Passey died in hospital after he was stabbed at a nightclub

Ms Taylor described her son as a lovely lad who loved life.

He was a window cleaner and his father said he loved his football and would have played seven days a week if he could.

Even the taxi driver remembered his "cheeky smile", he added.

However, Mr Passey said his son had been "let down" by West Midlands Police.

"We needed them to really come forward and come and help us as a family. But we've just been let down by them massively."

Father Adrian Passey said his son was a "happy chap" who "always had a smile on his face"

A review into the force's handling of the case was revealed in a letter earlier this month.

Among other things, it is expected to examine "additional lines of inquiry potentially missed during the initial police investigation".

Stepfather Phillip Taylor said the justice system had "failed us as a family" and added: "Through this investigation into West Midlands Police we hope we're going to get some sort of answer.

"I think they missed a lot of opportunities where they could have called other witnesses who were with Kobe Murray that night, who were in the vehicle with Kobe Murray that night, and also check the statements of the people that gave evidence… they don't seem to have investigated, they just took it off the word of witnesses…there's a lot of questions to be answered."

West Midlands Police said it had written to the family via an MP to confirm it was "supportive" of an independent review of its investigation into the death to be conducted by another force.

It added it was confident all appropriate avenues were explored and "the evidence presented to the Crown Prosecution Service was strong enough to secure a conviction".

In a statement, the force said it remained disappointed by the acquittal and hoped an independent review would provide the family "with reassurance that all investigative and evidential opportunities were taken".

A separate civil case, in which the family is seeking a verdict of unlawful killing, is due to conclude in November.