Man killed brother in drunken fight at motocross
A man has admitted killing his brother with a single punch during a drunken fight.
Ben Starr, 34, of Woodside Avenue in Derbyshire, admitted the manslaughter of his brother Lee Starr during a hearing at Bristol Crown Court earlier.
The fatal fight, witnessed by the men's father, broke out when the brothers were at the Foxhill motocross event in Swindon in August last year.
Lee, who was in his 30s, suffered a fatal head injury and later died in hospital.
The court was told the men's father witnessed Lee punch Starr twice before both men ended up on the ground, with Starr restraining his brother.
The pair were separated and Lee directed a "kick and a punch" towards Starr, their father told police.
Sam Jones, defending, said Starr told police the kick and punch "connected with him" but witnesses at the scene said the blows "did not connect".
Starr was initially charged with grievous bodily harm with intent but was later charged with murder and manslaughter.
Mr Jones said Starr admitted manslaughter on the basis he threw a single punch after being separated from his brother, and after his brother's attempt to kick and punch him.
"Both the defendant and his brother were intoxicated at the relevant time," he added.
Medical experts were not able to determine the level of force Starr used when he punched his brother, the court heard.
Mr Jones said: "It is a tragic case, not least because those who have attended in support of the defendant today are those who have been so affected by the consequence of the alleged incident."
More news stories for Wiltshire
Listen to the latest news for Wiltshire
Robin Shellard, prosecuting, said the guilty plea to manslaughter was "acceptable" to the Crown Prosecution Service.
"We accept of course this was a fight between two brothers," he said.
"Lee certainly called his brother out, they wrestled on the floor and there were blows made by Lee towards Ben and vice versa.
"The two independent witnesses say that the fight had finished by that stage, so self-defence didn't arise.
"It was in the context of that - that it was a blow out of anger or indeed another reason, but certainly not self-defence."
Follow BBC Wiltshire on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630.
Man dies after assault at Foxhill motocross event
Arrest after life-threatening assault at motocross event
HM Courts & Tribunals Service
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Boulder attack suspect to appear in court as family remains in ICE detention
The suspect in the Boulder firebombing will appear in a Colorado court Thursday, as an attorney for his wife is calling for the family's release from Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention. Mohamed Sabry Soliman, a 45-year-old Egyptian national who entered the country legally in 2022, has a hearing in Boulder County court at 3:30 p.m. local time (5:30 p.m. ET) in connection with the antisemitic attack Sunday at the Pearl Street pedestrian mall. Soliman is accused of using a "makeshift flamethrower" and Molotov cocktails on a group of people peacefully calling for the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza. The attack injured at least 15 people, ranging in age from 25 to 88, and one dog, prosecutors said in an update Wednesday. Soliman faces state charges of attempted first-degree murder after deliberation, attempted first-degree murder with extreme indifference, first-degree assault, including against an at-risk victim older than 70, and possession of an incendiary device. Separately, Soliman was charged Monday with a federal hate crime. The White House on Tuesday announced that Soliman's wife and five children had been taken into ICE custody "for expedited removal." Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem wrote on X that the department was investigating "to what extent" Soliman's family knew about the attack or supported it. A federal judge Wednesday issued an order preventing the deportation of the wife and children. They have not been charged in connection with the attack. Soliman entered the country on a B2 visa, typically issued to tourists, in August 2022. The following month, he filed for asylum with his family as dependents, according to the Department of Homeland Security and court documents. While his visa expired in February 2023, Soliman had not yet exhausted all legal options to stay in the U.S. An attorney for Soliman's wife, Hayam El Gamal, told NBC News that she and her children are at the Dilley family detention center in Texas. "There is no precedent in the history of the United States for the type of collective family-based punishment that the Trump administration is doling out on this family," the attorney, Eric Lee, said. 'It's extremely dangerous, and it's something that should concern every single person that's watching,' he added. "You can imagine the shock that they were in when they learned the charges that were being brought against their father or husband, and then suddenly to find themselves being whisked away in the dark of night, out of their home state of Colorado to a new place in a detention center, huddled together without really any idea about whether they were going to be sent to a country from which they had applied for the right to asylum," Lee continued. Lee said two of the five children are 4 years old, and the others are 8, 15 and 17. He said the government had mistakenly said that the oldest child is 18. He said he's sought habeas relief to protect the family from being removed, but hasn't had the opportunity to speak to them in depth, as calls were cut off twice after a few minutes on Wednesday. "One could only imagine what this family is going through," he said. "They've done absolutely nothing wrong." This article was originally published on
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Boy and girl sentenced for killing dog walker, 80
A 15-year-old boy and a 13-year-old girl have been sentenced for killing an 80-year-old man out walking his dog in a park. Bhim Kohli died the day after he was assaulted in Franklin Park, yards from his home in Braunstone Town, Leicestershire, on 1 September last year. The boy, who racially abused Mr Kohli before slapping him in the face with a slider shoe, was sentenced to seven years in custody at Leicester Crown Court on Thursday. The girl, who encouraged the assault and laughed as she filmed it on her phone, was given a youth rehabilitation order of three years and made subject to a six month curfew. Both were convicted of manslaughter. Follow BBC Leicester on Facebook, on X, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@ or via WhatsApp on 0808 100 2210. Police told of racist attack before man killed 'He revelled in his hard man reputation': What led to a teen killing an elderly dog walker Teens who killed 80-year-old 'utterly disgusting' HM Courts & Tribunals Service
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
Man admits killing wife as she pushed baby in pram
A man has admitted killing his wife as she pushed their baby in a pram through Bradford, but denied her murder. Habibur Masum, 26, stabbed 27-year-old Kulsuma Akter several times as she walked through the city centre on 6 April last year. The baby was unharmed. Appearing at Bradford Crown Court, Masum, of Leamington Avenue, Burnley, pleaded guilty to manslaughter and possession of a bladed article, but denied a charge of murder. Following the hearing he was remanded into custody by the judge, Mr Justice Cotter, to stand trial for murder on Monday. Masum also denies two charges of assault, one count of making threats to kill and one charge of stalking. During a previous hearing the court heard those allegations relate to two days in November 23. Masum is accused of stalking Ms Akter between November and April, with the charge alleging he "tracked her movements and located her at a safe house, sent her messages of a menacing nature which contained threats to kill another and photos and videos of the area and premises where she was residing". He is also alleged to have "loitered in the area of her temporary residence". The charge alleges he caused her "alarm or distress" and to "fear that violence would be used against her". Ms Akter was attacked at about 15:20 BST as she pushed her baby in a pram along Westgate near to the junction with Drewton Road. She later died in hospital. Masum, who appeared in the dock wearing a blue T-shirt and grey fleece jacket, was arrested in Aylesbury after a three-day manhunt by West Yorkshire Police. Speaking last year Ms Akter's mother, Monwara Begum, said she had been left "heartbroken". From her home in Bangladesh, she said: "I am in shock. She was my youngest daughter and I adored her greatly. "When she moved to the United Kingdom I was alone, but Kulsuma would call me every day by video. The only day I didn't hear from her was the day she was attacked." Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North. HM Courts & Tribunals Service
