Dale Jackson

Dale Jackson was punched in Station Road near the Suffield Arms pub in Thorpe Market on 17 September 2021 and died a few days later on 23 September 2021 from head injuries.

He had been leaving the pub just before 6pm at the time in his Mercedes car when he got into a row with another man and was knocked to the ground.

The incident was witnessed by a number of people.

A driver in his 40s who lived in Mill Street, Gimingham, was tried for manslaughter at Norwich Crown Court in December 2022 but the jury failed to reach a verdict. It was noted that the man could face a retrial, but that he committed suicide in August 2023 following other serious allegations of child rape.

The police were called to the scene at 6pm on Friday 17 September 2021. Dale Jackson was airlifted to Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge but died a few days later on Thursday 23 September 2021.

He suffered a fractured skull and bleeding on the brain.

Dale Jackson and the driver tried had known each other.

It was heard that the driver had been trying to pull into a car park near the pub when his path was blocked by Dale Jackson's vehicle. The driver said that Dale Jackson then just started shouting and glaring at him and started to do hand gestures, including a 'shooting' gesture with his hand. He said that they then both got out of their cars and started shouting at each other.

The driver said that he then saw something and ducked, stating that he:

He added that he just ducked down and didn't remember touching Dale Jackson and that he then saw Dale Jackson fall backwards, saying that he first caught the corner of his car as he fell and then hit his head on the floor.

The driver then said that at that moment:

He said that he then put his hands on his head and thought, 'Oh God, and just walked back to his car, adding:

When the prosecution asked whether he had intended to hurt Dale Jackson, he replied:

At the trial, when the driver said that he didn't remember punching Dale Jackson, he was asked by the prosecution:

To which the driver replied:

When he was then asked whether he remembered that to this day, the driver replied:

When the prosecution asked him whether he was deliberately lying, the driver said:

The prosecution stated that the medical evidence showed that Dale Jackson had been hit with 'extreme force'.

Two off duty police officers said that they saw Dale Jackson punched and fall backward. The punch knocked him out and caused him to hit his head on the floor resulting in serious injuries from which he died a few days later.

It was heard that a man in his 20s that had been in a passenger in the car of the driver had been trying to separate the two men at the time.

He said that as they were driving up to the pub that Dale Jackson just pulled across them in his car and wouldn't pull away. He said that Dale Jackson then got out of his car and was getting really angry at the driver and that they started arguing. He said that Dale Jackson kept saying:

He said that Dale Jackson then started swearing and went to his the driver. He noted that Dale Jackson just seemed angry like he wanted to fight and that he kept saying:

And trying to provoke the driver.

He said that it was weird how Dale Jackson was trying to punch the driver, stating that he was flailing his arms about and trying to hit him. He said that the driver then hit Dale Jackson once and that he went down, adding that he thought he must've lost his footing and that he just fell backwards.

He landlord of the Suffield Arms, who was also an art dealer, said that he saw the altercation. He said that he had gone to the pub to speak to a new head chef and was chatting to a customer outside when he became aware an altercation going on between Dale Jackson and another man. He noted that he had seen Dale Jackson earlier in his pub at which time he had appeared to have been in a seemingly good mood.

However, he said that when during the altercation there was a lot of shouting and swearing between the two men and that he saw Dale Jackson push the other man with both his hands at the top of his chest and then saw Dale Jackson fall backwards, having been punched by the other man. Dale Jackson was said to have pushed the other man away quite forcefully.

He added that he then heard:

As he hit his head on the road, adding that the driver must have used extreme force in his blow.

The incident was also seen by the assistant manager of the pub who said that she first saw the confrontation from an office window. She said that she thought there must have been a crash between the two men and that hey had then got out and started shouting at each other. She said then that she went out and as she was just a few meters away from them that she saw the driver punch Dale Jackson in the face, causing him to fall to the floor.

She said that Dale Jackson fell straight back with his arms by his side and that when he was on the floor that he looked to be in a bad way.

It was noted that a 19-year-old man that had been a passenger in a car with driver had given evidence stating that Dale Jackson had made neck slashing threats and attempted to punch the man that was tried. The passenger said that he had been encouraged to make the untrue claims. His claims had been made sooner after the incident and recorded in a video statement he made to the police. However, he later said:

He said they had been dropping someone off outside the pub when another car forced them to stop, resulting in a confrontation between Dale Jackson and the driver.

The passenger admitted that he had not seen all of the fight and that he had been encouraged by the driver to say that he had seen Dale Jackson make the threatening gestures and throw the first punch.

He added:

It was noted that the driver was also charged with 26 sexual offences against three complainants including the rape of a girl under 13, the rape of a boy under 13, indecent assault of a girl under 16 and the indecent assault of a boy under 16, offences which were said to have taken place between July 1996 and July 2010. It was noted in August 2022 that further offences were added, including offences against a fourth child.

It was arranged that the two sets of offences were to be tried at two separate trials, the sex offences on 4 September 2022 and the manslaughter allegations on 27 November 2022 The manslaughter trial concluded in December 2022.

Following the failure of the jury to return a verdict on the driver over the manslaughter charge, it was noted that the prosecution were considering a retrial.

However, on 3 August 2023 it was reported that the man had committed suicide, it being reported that he had taken his own life following the 'terrible effect' of the allegations against him.