Man, 36, charged with murder after assault outside Staffordshire bar appears in court
Matt O’Gara sustained serious injuries and died in hospital on Tuesday
A man accused of murder after a Staffordshire pub boss died following an assault outside a bar has appeared in court.
Billy Allison, 36, appeared at Stafford Crown Court charged with murder and inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent in connection with an incident in Lichfield on Sunday (May 24).
Staffordshire Police said officers were called to the Ricco and Loren bar in Market Street at 11.25pm following reports two men had been punched.
One of the men, Matt O’Gara, sustained serious injuries and died in hospital on Tuesday.
Mr O'Gara was a director of The Plough pub in the village of Huddlesford, near Lichfield.
Police said the second victim in the assault was taken to hospital but has since been discharged.
Wearing a blue long-sleeved top, Allison, of Cropthorne Road in Shirley, Solihull, appeared before Judge Avik Mukherjee for an eight-minute hearing on Thursday and spoke only to confirm his name when asked by the court clerk.
The court heard a date for trial, expected to last two weeks, was set for October 26.
The judge told the defendant, who stood with his hands clasped in front of him, he would next appear in court in September for a plea and trial preparation hearing and would be remanded into custody.
He said: “Billy Allison, will you stand please.
“Your next hearing is the first of September and you will be produced to court for that hearing.”
Of his trial, the judge said: “You have an obligation to come.
“You are expected to be here every day for your trial.”
Allison nodded and was taken back down to the cells by a custody officer following the hearing.