Paul Donaldson

Paul Donaldson died after being stabbed with an oramental sword.

A 27-year-old man was tried but acquitted.

The court heard that Paul Donaldson had been seeing the man's ex-girlfriend, and that the man had gone round to her flat to get a television that he had lent her back. 

He had gone to the flat in Hunters Road, Handsworth, on 1 August 1983 to get it, but that whilst there Paul Donaldson had produced an ornamental sword. He said that he had not wanted any trouble when he had gone there and that there was no antagonism between them and that he had wanted to leave in peace with his television set and had no intention of killing Paul Donaldson. 

However, he said that when he got there that Paul Donaldson kept punching him and then went to get the sword and started chopping out with it at him. He said that he had been terrified and during a struggle grabbed the sword away from Paul Donaldson. 

He said that he then cut Paul Donaldson on the arm with the sword and that at one stage wrestled on the floor with him, but that he was not aware at the time that Paul Donaldson had a wound to his stomach, suggesting that that might have happened when Paul Donaldson fell down.

When the man was cleared at the trial at Birmingham Crown Court there was uproar from the public gallery and scuffles in the court, with Paul Donaldson's family suddenly rushing the dock and started shouting and swearing. Police rushed forward to quell the disturbance and but there was then more trouble and others joined in the affray and fighting began, resulting in several members of the public being dragged out of the court and two men being taken to the police cells. 

Following the disturbance, the acquitted man was told that he could wait in the cells until the stuation had quietened before he left the court. The judge also told the jury that they could also wait in their room until things had calmed down. 

Paul Donaldson had lived in Radmor Road, Handsworth.