Man jailed for murdering Mark Richmond in Rugby house attack

Matthew Naysmith was sentenceed at Warwick Crown Court on Thursday

A man has jailed for 17 years for his "sickening" assault on another man in the property they both lived in.

Mark Richmond, 47, was found unconscious and bleeding in the house in Rugby in 2021, and died in hospital two days later.

Matthew Naysmith, 20, denied the attack but was convicted of his murder at Warwick Crown Court last month.

Warwickshire Police described the incident as "act of extreme violence, which was totally unjustified".

Mr Richmond was taken to hospital with a punctured lung, fractured ribs and skull on 2 September 2021, after police went to the property on Newland Street following concerns for his welfare.

Naysmith was arrested on suspicion of assault through grievous bodily harm and then murder after Mr Richmond died, the force said.

Mark Richmond, 47, died in hospital two days after being attacked

Signs of a disturbance were discovered by police but Naysmith denied any involvement telling officers the pair went to bed in their respective flats and he woke up to find Mr Richmond injured.

But he went to admit the pair had been drinking together the night before and police gathered evidence through blood pattern analysis which cast doubt on his story, the force added.

After his conviction last month, Det Insp Collette O'Keefe, senior investigating officer, said although from the outset Naysmith denied any wrongdoing, "the reality was far from this".

"Naysmith's attack was senseless and sickening - he severely assaulted Mark and ultimately, was responsible for ending his life.

"Mark did nothing to deserve this, and it was an act of extreme violence, which was totally unjustified."