Guilty murder verdicts for Matthew Adams killers serve as a warning for all those 'who have drink and drugs fuelled fights at the weekend'
Saturday night's alright for fighting for many cocaine and booze fuelled people up and down the country according to one of Matthew Adams killers but six lives have been ruined after what started as a pub brawl ended in murder.
The father-of-two from the Yew Tree estate fought like a Trojan as men tried to knock him out inside and outside the Gough Arms pub at 1am on Sunday, March 19, 2023.
An argument inside the pub led to a barroom brawl before the violence carried on outside as Matthew was pushed outside the pub.
CCTV footage showed Adams biting legs, landing blows whilst taking repeated kicks and punches as he refused to go down without a fight.
Mark Shorthouse, Ryan Stanley, aged 30; John Wise, aged 42; and a 16-year-old boy, all of Sandwell, drunkenly missed their target before converging on him in the car park and leaving him prone of the floor unconscious.
He died four days later. However, Wise spokes to him ten minutes later when he returned to the pub to retrieve his phone.
He said during the trial: "I told him he deserved a medal for not going down."
Shorthouse had superhuman strength. But he should have gone down and then the confrontation would have ended. Shorthouse did finally succeed in knocking Adams out after connecting with a Judas haymaker.
Adams was well enough to send comic commentary to his mate the next day about his beating, he texted "I've had worse but I bit a chunk out of one of them."
However, his health deteriorated over the following days. He phoned his GP who he told he'd been 'beaten up' bur did not follow the doctor's advice to visit the Stone Cross Medical or go to accident and emergency.
He complained of more pain to friends and family on the Tuesday and Wednesday and was found unresponsive lying face down in his bedroom on Thursday, March 21. He was rushed to hospital where he died.
Shorthouse told the jury: "He should have gone to hospital. He ignored everyone. These fights with drunk people on cocaine happen up and down the country every weekend."
The defendants were arrested after witnesses told police they had savagely beaten Adams and CCTV from the pub proved that. The defendants and their families believed because Adams died days later they were not in the frame for murder.
However, West Midlands Police had different ideas.
Detective Inspector Joe Davenport from our Homicide Unit said: “Wise, Shorthouse, Stanley and the teenager subjected Matthew to a brutal attack where he was punched, kicked and dragged on the floor. Matthew was left helpless.
“The violence and their desire to keep attacking despite Matthew’s clear injuries was vicious.
“Nichola Stanley repeatedly hit Matthew and others in the pub, adding to the out-of-control disorder. This was a complex investigation which relied heavily on linking the attack to Matthew’s death."
He added: “Our thoughts remain with Matthew’s family, and we thank them for their support through the investigation and the court process.”
The four guilty verdicts of murder for Shorthouse, Wise, Stanley and a boy to should be a warning to all those who partake in a Saturday night punch ups they could easily end up facing a life sentence behind bars.
In tribute to Matthew following the verdict, his heartbroken family said in a statement: “Our whole family and Matt’s friends continue to struggle with the loss of Matt. We cannot believe we are living this absolute nightmare.
“No words will ever be enough to fully describe the massive void since we lost Matt. Matt’s children have lost a devoted daddy. Matt was a loving son, an adored younger brother, a kind and generous uncle, a much-loved cousin and a loyal friend to many.
“Matt's smile and cheeky laugh could cheer up the darkest of days and his sense of humour will always be remembered by us all. Our lives will never be the same, we will continue to remember all those amazing memories we had with Matt, and we will cherish them forever.
“He was the life and soul of our family, and our hearts will be forever broken. Our family have seen and heard the horrific violence Matt was subjected to and we are appalled by it, and utterly devastated that Matt lost his life as a result of it with little or no remorse shown from those involved “