Man on trial over punch death in Kent Street, Southampton

Ashley Lear, 36, is on trial charged with manslaughter following the death of Fuzel Miah who was found outside Kent House on the Northam Estate.

Jurors were told Mr Miah, 44, from Southampton, was assaulted in Kent Street on May 14 and taken to hospital, where he died days later.

Opening the case at Southampton Crown Court, prosecutor Robert Bryan said Lear - who later told police he was "chilling" - was seen on CCTV punching Mr Miah twice in the head.

“Lear then walked away and rounded the corner turning left towards the front entrance to Kent House, and Miah followed seven seconds later”, he told the jury.

Police at Kent Street on May 14, 2024 (Image: Newsquest) Mr Bryan added: “Miah was carrying an orange bicycle on his right shoulder, he went around the corner, out of shot, and fell backwards to the ground.

“He never got up.”

The jury was told that CCTV footage from a different angle shows Lear “kicking out” at Mr Miah, who “immediately fell backwards to the pavement”.

Several 999 calls were made, and a member of the public started CPR on Mr Miah, until paramedics took over.

He was clinically dead, said Mr Bryan, and a pulse was eventually achieved by paramedics, but Mr Miah was struggling to breathe.

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Mr Bryan said: “It was suspected that he had a collection of air in his chest from a leak in the lung.”

He was “deeply unconscious” as his eyes did not open, and there was no movement.

A CT scan at the hospital revealed a large amount of bleeding into the brain, and a later operation revealed he suffered “extensive brain damage”.

Following a post-mortem, pathologist Dr Basil Purdue said Mr Miah’s death was caused by bleeding in the brain, the court heard.

The prosecution’s case is that he died because of an aneurysm caused by this bleeding during the incident with Lear, Mr Bryan said.

Mr Miah died on May 18 - four days after the incident - once the decision to withdraw his life support was made, Mr Bryan said.

The court heard how police officers were shown CCTV footage after arriving at the scene in Kent Street on May 14.

After watching the footage, PC Lawrence Kanabe made eye contact with "a man wearing a baseball cap".

The male, confirmed to be Lear, then hastily left the scene, Mr Bryan said.

Lear was followed by officers to Norman House where he was found “lurking” in a flat and told police: “No bruv I’m just chilling here with these boys.”

He was then arrested. 

Mr Bryan said: “This case is about the interaction between Lear and Miah outside Kent House in those fateful moments before Miah falls back never to recover.”

Lear, of Kent Street, Southampton, denies manslaughter. The court heard he will claim self-defence but Mr Bryan told jurors he was the "aggressor".

The trial continues.