Man found guilty of murder – Rugby

A Rugby man whose "senseless and sickening" assault caused the death of another man has been found guilty of murder.

Police were called to a property on Newland Street around 6am on 2 September 2021 after concerns were raised by a member of the public for the welfare of a man.

On arrival, signs of a disturbance were found along with and a man who was unconscious, struggling to breathe and bleeding from his head.

Present at the house of multiple occupation (HMO) was Matthew Naysmith, who was immediately arrested by officers on suspicion of assault - GBH.

The victim – Mark Richmond – was taken to hospital with a punctured lung, fractured ribs, and a fractured skull.

Sadly the 47-year-old died from his injuries two days later leading Naysmith to be further arrested on suspicion of murder.

The then 18-year-old initially denied all involvement but when challenged by police, admitted the pair had been drinking together the night before Mark’s death.

He claimed they both went to bed in their respective flats and he woke up the following morning to find Mark injured.

However subsequent crime scene investigation and analysis by blood pattern experts showed signs of a clean-up and confirmed elements of Naysmith’s story did not add up.

And on Tuesday (26 September) after a week-long trial at Warwick Crown Court, the 20-year-old was found unanimously guilty by the jury of murder.

He will be sentenced at the same court on 12 October.

Senior investigating officer, Detective Inspector Collette O’Keefe, said: “From the outset Naysmith denied any wrongdoing but the reality was far from this, and thankfully the jury were able to see through his lies.

“Naysmith’s attack was senseless and sickening – he severely assaulted Mark and ultimately, was responsible for ending his life.

“Mark did nothing to deserve this, and it was an act of extreme violence, which was totally unjustified.

"Mark’s family have been incredibly brave throughout the proceedings and although we can’t bring him back, I hope knowing that Naysmith will soon be behind bars will provide some comfort at this challenging time.

“I would like to praise the efforts of the investigative team, who have done everything they can to disprove Naysmith’s web of lies and make sure we were able to secure a conviction."

Mark’s family added: “Mark didn’t deserve such a violent and brutal end to his life and neither did his children deserve to have their father taken away in such tragic circumstances.

"It’s been an incredibly emotional two years waiting for an outcome so we’re glad this has finally come to an end and justice has been done.”

Issued: Laura Maltby, Corporate Communications