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Stephen Butt

Age: 50

Sex: male

Date: 18 Aug 2013

Place: Park Lane, Preesall

Stephen Butt died outside his home.

It was said that Stephen Butt could have received his injury from a fall or by a blow to the head and that as a result of that no charges were made against the man thought to have assaulted him during a taxi ride back home after a night out in Blackpool.

He had just returned from a night out in Blackpool on 18 August 2013 with his partner and her family but had had a fight with his girlfriend's son on the way. Shortly after he got home at 5.45am an ambulance was called for him and he was taken to Blackpool Victoria Hospital where he later died at 7.25am.

It was heard that they had been out to Yates's and the Rumours and Hush nightclub and had been brought home by a taxi just after 4am with some other people. The taxi driver said that on the way back he had had to pull over in Mill Lane in Stalmine because the people in his taxi were having an argument and said that when Stephen Butt got out he tripped and that Stephen Butt and his girlfriend’s son then had an altercation during which he saw Stephen Butt's girlfriend's son kicking Stephen Butt, although he said that he didn't see any punches thrown.

When the girlfriend's son was questioned, he said, 'We got out the car and Stephen was shouting and started swinging punches. I hit back, it caught him, and he fell. I was defending myself. I didn’t for one moment think I’d caused him serious injury'.

His cause of death was given as brain haemorrhage following a head injury that caused bleeding on the surface of his brain.

The pathologist said that he found four external head injuries to Stephen Butt and an internal bruise under the skin of his right cheek that was consistent with him having been assaulted. He added that Stephen Butt had seven other bruises and abrasions to his left arm but said that there was no evidence on his hands to indicate that he had thrown any punches.

Murder and manslaughter charges were dropped against the girlfriend's son after it was heard that there was not enough evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction.

The pathologist said, 'The external examination supports the fall from the taxi, due to the abrasions to the forehead. Circumstances also suggest Mr Butt had been the victim of assault, due to the bruise under his cheek, consistent with a single punch. Either of these could have produced the fatal haemorrhage, it is not possible scientifically or pathologically to say which caused the haemorrhage'.

Stephen Butt had been a chip shop worker.


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