Frank Milligan

Frank Milligan died after a disturbance his family cafe.

Three men were charged with his manslaughter, but the charges were dropped after medical experts said that Frank Milligan's death was not related to the attack. They were all convicted of affray and sentenced to a year each.

Frank Milligan had been working at his family cafe, Upmarket 22, with his daughter and another man at about 11.20pm on 13 May 2016 in preparation for the following day when the three men, who were drunk and behaving noisily, came along. The cafe was closed at the time although the door was open and they went inside uninvited and caused an affray.

The men had been on a night out and were drunk and had earlier been seen in Church Road kicking shop windows. When they passed Upmarket 22 at about 11.15pm they went in, although it was not open for business and one of the men picked up a box of crisps whilst another asked Frank Milligan's daughter for some beer.

Frank Milligan's daughter then ushered the men out of the cafe, but one of the youths then started to headbutt shop windows and when Frank Milligan came out to face them one of them said to him, 'Come on if you think you’re hard'.

The man that had been head-butting windows then shouted abuse at the other man from the cafe and the man from the cafe got hold of the drunk man and put him in a headlock. During the struggle Frank Milligan's daughter was hit in the mouth and had her tooth chipped.

However, the police were called and upon hearing that, the men ran off.

A few hours later Frank Milligan started to feel ill and an ambulance was called, and he was taken to the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton where he suffered from a stroke and died on 15 May 2016 from a brain bleed.

Following his death, the three men were charged with Frank Milligan's manslaughter, but at the trial evidence from medical experts said that his death was not related to the attack.

When the judge sentenced the three men, he said, 'I would like to think all three of you share at least lurking doubt that your behaviour may have played a part in the death of Frank Milligan or at the very least feel remorse for having made so unpleasant some of his last few hours and are at the very least genuinely remorseful for your actions rather than simply sorry for the position you find yourselves in, though I am far from certain that is the case. Even putting the death entirely to one side as I must, your behaviour that night was by any standards appalling, drunken, loutish and entirely unprovoked and unnecessary. I do not accept it was simply high spirits as is suggested by one or more of you to probation officers; it was irresponsible, frightening and criminal, something that, now at least, you have all acknowledged'. The judge also said, 'No one in Frank Milligan’s family will ever believe that the fatal stroke that he suffered shortly after the affray was unconnected with the events that the three of you engaged in. Frank Milligan's daughter, who is generally a robust person, had never been so scared in her life and was struck in the mouth. This sort of drunken behaviour can only be dealt with by a custodial sentence. None of you are of good character. Putting the death of Frank Milligan aside, your behaviour was appalling, unprovoked, unnecessary, irresponsible, frightening and criminal'.

It was later heard that one of the men had a previous conviction for being found with a knuckleduster and an incident of threatening behaviour on Brighton beach.

After the trial, Frank Milligan's son said, 'My dad was healthy and fit and well. The moment those boys entered the premises his mental state had changed, defending his daughter. Therefore I believe there is a link with the death of my father, however the CPS believes it not to be, which we will be challenging'.