Two found guilty of murdering man who tried to break up hotel fight

Two men are facing beingness sentences aft battering a ‘peacemaker’ begetter who was moving astatine a euphony festival.

Andrew Main, 33, was helping to acceptable up the euphony festival starring vocalist Jason Donovan, Boomtown Rats and UB-40 erstwhile helium was killed extracurricular his hotel.

Scotsman Andrew had tried to interruption up a combat betwixt guests astatine the Travelodge successful Swansea, South Wales, wherever helium was besides staying.

But successful the chaos, helium was attacked by 2 chap guests who continued to batter him adjacent arsenic helium laic ‘unconscious and defenceless’ connected the floor.

Andrew died successful infirmary aft suffering a encephalon bleed. Joseph Dix, 26, and Macauley Ruddock, 28, some denied execution and manslaughter, but contiguous a assemblage recovered the duo blameworthy of murdering Mr Main.

Judge Paul Thomas told Dix and Ruddock: ‘There tin lone beryllium 1 condemnation for execution and that is imprisonment for beingness but I person to hole the word you volition person to service earlier you tin beryllium considered for release.’

Prosecutor David Elias told the tribunal a enactment broke retired after Mr Main and a person had been chatting to 2 women wrong the edifice astatine the barroom – a determination which reportedly angered Dix and Ruddock.

Mr Elias said Mr Main was a ‘peacemaker’, and tried to propulsion person Michael Bell, 18, distant from the confrontation earlier walking away.

He said Mr Main was ‘offering nary menace to anyone’ arsenic helium and his person had walked away. But aft Mr Bell and Mr Main walked away, Dix and Ruddock pursued them and pushed Mr Main to the ground.

Swansea Crown Court heard they past helped him up and shook his manus but the combat redeveloped, resulting successful Mr Main suffering a punch to the backmost of his head.

Mr Elias told the jurors that CCTV footage showed Mr Main’s legs springiness mode ‘immediately’ earlier helium fell to the floor, wherever some Dix and Ruddock kept punching him.

Another witnesser described their punches arsenic ‘delivered with force’ – arsenic helium could perceive a ‘thumping’ sound arsenic the blows connected.

Mr Elias said Dix and Ruddock were ‘laughing and celebrating that associated attack’ as Andrew lay motionless and unconscious connected the ground.

Mr Elias said Dix past tried to aftermath him and enactment him successful the betterment presumption portion a fig of radical called the police.

Ruddock told officers that ‘they some did it’, with Dix telling constabulary they had shaken hands aft the combat and past Mr Main threw a punch astatine him.

They were arrested and answered ‘no comment’ to each questions asked.

Mr Main, from Falkirk, Scotland, suffered a encephalon wounded days and died successful infirmary 4 weeks aboriginal aft helium ne'er managed to recover.

The tribunal heard that Mr Main had a important encephalon injury, and a scan showed aggregate fractures to the face.

Dix, of Frome, Somerset, and Ruddock, of Camerton, Somerset, denied each charges – but a assemblage of 11 recovered them guilty.

Addressing the jury, the justice said: ‘These cases are ever very, precise sad. No justice underestimates the grade of work and grade of unit that comes with these cases.

‘It is simply a tribute to the assemblage strategy and particularly to you arsenic individuals that you person carried retired your responsibilities with specified attraction and dedication. I americium grateful to you all.’

The duo volition beryllium sentenced connected Friday, January 24.

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