Boy, 15, arrested on suspicion of murdering Staffordshire pensioner

The 15-year-old boy from Tamworth has been arrested on suspicion of murder following the death of 73-year-old Dennis Whinston from Tamworth. 

Staffordshire Police officers were called to Hayle, Belgrave, at around 7.30pm on Friday, October 31, following reports that a man had been assaulted in the area.

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On arrival, emergency services teams discovered Dennis, who had suffered an injury to his head, and he was taken to hospital. 

Tragically, Dennis died on November 4. 

A 15-year-old boy, who can not be named for legal reasons, was initially arrested on Sunday, November 2, on suspicion of Section 18 wounding; however, he has now been further arrested on suspicion of murder. 

Staffordshire Police said the boy will remain in custody, where he will be questioned by detectives, with officers taking steps to reassure the community.

A force spokesperson said: "Officers were called to Hayle, Belgrave, at about 7.10pm on Friday, 31 October, following reports of an assault. Dennis suffered an injury to his head and was taken to hospital, but tragically died on Tuesday 4 November.

"A 15-year-old boy, from the Tamworth area, was first arrested on suspicion of section 18 wounding on Sunday, 2 November. He has since been further arrested on suspicion of murder today (Wednesday, 12 November). 

"He will be questioned by detectives in custody as part of our ongoing investigation, and officers would like to reassure the community that we are not seeking anyone else in relation to this incident."

Anyone who witnessed the assault, or those with CCTV, dashcam footage, or doorbell footage of the area at the time, are asked to get in touch with Staffordshire Police via their 101 number, or on the Live Chat service on their website, quoting reference number 627 of 31 October 2025.