Ryan Passey's family to take fight for justice to the High Court

The family of Ryan Pasey who was stabbed to death in a Stourbridge nightspot have told of the unending ‘emotional toll’ their campaign for justice has had on them as they prepare to take their fight to the High Court.

Popular footballer Ryan, aged 24, from Quarry Bank, died from a single stab wound to the chest after he was attacked in the old Chicago’s bar in the Ryemarket in Stourbridge, in August 2017.

Nearly 10 years on, his family continues to fight for justice after Kobe Murray, the man accused of killing Ryan, walked free from court after a trial in February 2018 which ended with what was described as a ‘perverse acquittal’ - contrary to the evidence presented.

A long campaign for justice has included the reopening of a murder investigation by West Midlands Police, following an independent review by West Yorkshire Police, which saw new evidence presented to the CPS. However, the Director of Public Prosecutions dashed the family’s hopes of a retrial, refusing permission for a judicial review on August 27.

Having vowed to leave no stone unturned, they have since lodged a legal challenge which will culminate in a hearing of the High Court in Birmingham on Tuesday November 3.

The family said in a statement: “Our renewal hearing will be heard before the Honourable Ms Justice Margaret Obi.

“Our legal challenge argues the DPP failed to adequately consider the full findings of the West Yorkshire Police review, took an unduly narrow view of the significance of the fresh new evidence, and reached conclusions that should now be examined by the High Court. We are not asking the court to determine guilt or innocence. We are asking for independent judicial scrutiny of whether the DPP’s decision was reached lawfully and rationally.”

They said their request is “straightforward” - adding they want the DPP to fully reconsider the evidence and findings discovered by the West Yorkshire Police independent review and the West Midlands Police investigation and permit the case to proceed so the court can determine whether the new evidence meets the legal test to be considered by the Court of Appeal.

A statement issued on behalf of Ryan’s parents - Adrian Passey, mum Gill and step-dad Phil - said: “As a family, it increasingly feels like a David-versus-Goliath battle. We have never sought special treatment. We have simply asked that all available evidence be properly reviewed to find the truth of what happened to Ryan.

“No family should have to spend nine years fighting for answers about how their loved one died. This hearing represents our final opportunity to ensure that the concerns identified by investigators receive the judicial consideration they deserve.

“Our campaign is not about refusing to accept a verdict. It is about ensuring that significant new evidence discovered after the trial is given the scrutiny it deserves.

“Following the criminal proceedings, our family pursued civil proceedings arising from Ryan’s death. The civil court subsequently found that Ryan Passey’s death was unlawful.

“While criminal and civil proceedings operate under different standards of proof, it remains significant that a court later concluded that Ryan’s death was unlawful.”

Jason Connon, spokesperson for the Justice for Ryan campaign, said: "We have consistently maintained the justice system is unfair when it comes to acquittal verdicts. If new evidence emerges after a conviction, the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) can help challenge a potentially unsafe conviction. Yet no equivalent government body can help challenge a potentially unsafe acquittal.

“For nine years, we have fought on our own to find new evidence. Now this evidence has been found, the DPP is blocking our only route to the Court of Appeal. Where is the fairness in this?

“I will do everything I can to help secure justice so the family can finally grieve in peace."

In addition, the Justice for Ryan campaign has told the Express & Star that following the West Midlands Police re-investigation further new evidence was submitted to the CPS and they are still waiting for a decision on whether that will make a difference to their case.

Ryan’s family said: “The continued delay continues to cause significant and unnecessary trauma and distress for our family.

“We have cooperated with every review, every investigation and every legal process. We have waited patiently whilst agencies carried out their work. Yet despite being informed that a matter had reached the evidential threshold for referral to the CPS, many months have passed without any decision being communicated to us.

“No family should be treated this way.

“As Ryan’s parents, we have carried the burden of this case every single day since 2017. We have endured countless reviews, reports, meetings and legal proceedings while continuing to grieve the loss of our son. Despite the emotional toll, we have remained determined and dignified because Ryan deserves no less.

“We are an ordinary family who lost our only son. We have had to navigate complex legal processes against some of the most powerful institutions in the country. We have spent nine years engaging with police forces, prosecutors, independent reviews, lawyers and the courts, simply asking that our concerns are heard and that the evidence is properly considered.

“Too often, it has felt as though we have had to fight at every step to have our voices listened to rather than being treated as a family seeking answers after such a devastating loss. We understand that difficult legal decisions must be made, but victims’ families should never feel that their concerns are an afterthought and not subject to further scrutiny.

“We are asking for fairness. We are asking for transparency. And we are asking that the concerns of those who loved Ryan, are not lost within the system.

“After nine years, we remain determined to continue that fight, not only for Ryan but for every family who finds themselves seeking answers from institutions that can often seem beyond their reach. Ryan deserved a future. His family deserves answers.”

Former Stourbridge MP Suzanne Webb, who has supported the family since her time in office, said: “For nine years, Ryan Passey’s family has endured unimaginable grief while fighting relentlessly for justice.

“My thoughts remain firmly with Ryan’s family. They have my unwavering support, and I will continue to stand alongside them in their fight for justice.”

The Crown Prosecution Service declined to comment ahead of the High Court hearing but previously told how the Director of Public Prosecutions met personally with Ryan’s family “to provide a detailed explanation of his decision-making” and a spokesperson stressed: “We never hesitate to pursue cases under double jeopardy legislation when the legal tests are met, and will engage fully with any further proceedings in this case.”

They added that their thoughts were with Ryan’s family.