Cody Fisher: Friend describes attack inside Birmingham club

Cody Fisher was attacked on the dancefloor of the venue in Birmingham in December 2022

A friend of a footballer killed in a nightclub shouted "he's been stabbed" after a group surrounded him and he fell to the floor, a court heard.

Cody Fisher was knifed in the heart and died on the dancefloor at Crane in Birmingham on 26 December 2022.

Friend Harry Newman said about 10 people surrounded Mr Fisher. He then saw blood on his arm as he shook his friend on the floor.

Three men deny murdering the 23-year-old.

Remy Gordon, 23, of Cofton Park Drive, Birmingham, Kami Carpenter, 22, and 19-year-old Reegan Anderson, both of no fixed address, all deny murder and affray.

Giving evidence at Birmingham Crown Court on Wednesday, Mr Newman said he went to the nightclub with three friends and then stayed with Mr Fisher and others from about 23:00 GMT.

They were "talking, dancing and laughing" by the dancefloor before a large group suddenly approached and surrounded Mr Fisher.

Cody Fisher was fatally stabbed in the chest on Boxing Day 2022

They asked him to go outside, with several of the group going towards an exit, Mr Newman said. Mr Fisher refused.

One of the group said it was because Mr Fisher "had been acting bad" at The Farm, a pub in Solihull he had been at with Mr Newman and others on Christmas Eve.

As the group regathered, Mr Newman said he did not know what the problem was, and tried to get Mr Fisher to leave the situation by directing him towards the dancefloor. He recalled saying there would be "safety in numbers" and "let's go".

But a fight quickly broke out, he said, with punches thrown at Mr Fisher who was trying to defend himself.

Mr Newman grabbed him but he came loose and he tried again as the fighting continued, but Mr Fisher "seemed to fall backwards" to the floor as he grabbed him by his stomach with his arm.

He was unresponsive, and thinking he had been knocked out, Mr Newman shook him and shouted his name, but he felt a "warm wetness" on his hand which he realised was Mr Fisher's blood, jurors heard.

Mr Newman said he had shouted "he's been stabbed" and "he's bleeding... he's dying" as he ran to a bar to raise help, "unimpressed" with the immediate reaction of security in the premises.

He went to call an ambulance himself then left the venue to meet paramedics outside to take them to his friend.

'He's gone'

The court heard the phone operator asked if Mr Fisher was breathing to which Mr Newman said 'no, he's dead".

Ambulance crews subsequently confirmed to him Mr Fisher had died.

Remy Gordon, 23, Kami Carpenter, 22, and 19-year-old Reegan Anderson, all deny murder and affray

He described members of the group, as white and dark-skinned with one wearing a ski mask "just under his eyes".

George Robinson, another friend with Mr Fisher in Crane at the time, told jurors Mr Fisher "looked terrified" when someone from the group of between six to 10 people shouted at him to go outside.

He described two people who then allegedly attacked Mr Fisher, with one male headbutting him, he said.

That male, he said, was black with braided hair and about 6ft 5' tall wearing a black hooded top with a Balenciaga label on the back.

The second was of mixed race, wearing a grey tracksuit and about 6ft tall with short hair, aged in his 20s. Mr Robinson said he had seen him on Christmas Eve at The Farm pub.

Under cross-examination, Trevor Burke KC, representing Mr Gordon, said he had not said in his statement to police after the stabbing there were six to 10 people in the group.

He asked if he had discussed his evidence with his friend Mr Newman when the pair had shared a coffee together on Wednesday morning before court.

But Mr Robinson said he had not spoken about it with him as it was a "touchy subject".

He confirmed to Talbir Singh, representing Mr Anderson, he did not see a weapon or know his friend had been stabbed, agreeing the incident looked "like a fist fight".

Adam Peepall, a third friend of Mr Fisher who was with him at Crane said he learnt of his subsequent death via a message from another friend in their Snapchat group which said: "He's gone", which shocked him, he said.