Ashley Walker

Ashley Walker died eight days after a suspected assault.

It was said that he had been assaulted at a 50-year-old woman's flat in Tatlow Road by two men during an argument over money that he was said to have owed her and left with various cuts and bruises. Following the assault he had told various people about it but had said that he didn't want to go to the police about it because he was scared that he might be assaulted again.

However, two days later on 24 January 2019, whilst standing in the street he stumbled and fell into the road. He was then taken to a hospital where it was found he had a serious brain injury from which he died six days later on 30 January 2019.

He was found to have had bleed on the brain, but it could not be determined if the injury was caused by the assault at the flat or when he fell and hit his head in the street.

His post mortem showed that he had injuries to his hands, chest and head that were consistent with him having been assaulted.

The pathologist said that he could not say for sure his head injury was caused by the assault rather than the impact when he collapsed. He said, 'There is extensive injury which would be in keeping with an assault and I was informed the injuries were observed before he collapsed. I just can’t take it that one step further and say that the assault must have caused the brain injury'. However, he added that it was impossible to say,  either beyond reasonable doubt or even just on the balance of probabilities, that the assault led to his death.

At his inquest it was further heard that he had suffered from a serious brain injury when he was 18-years-old that was still effecting his life and that he had been using the drug mamba, also known as spice, and that it could have been due to his use of the drug that he had fallen. It was also heard that he had been having seizures, two of which had been attributed to his use of mamba.

It was heard that the two men had attacked Ashley Walker at the flat on the direction of the woman, kicking and punching him and that he had had a seizure as a result. When the police went to the woman's flat they also found blood.

However, the woman said that she had specifically told the two men not to attack.

When the two men, aged 28 and 37, were questioned the first man blamed the other and the other man made a no comment interview.