Man found guilty of murder after fight in Tipton pub

It took a jury at Wolverhampton Crown Court four hours and six minutes to decide Dominic Santos Fraser was guilty of murdering Kevin Hadley at the Lounge Bar in Market Place.

But he was found not guilty of a separate charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm in connection with an attack on Mr Hadley's father, also called Kevin Hadley.

Fraser, aged 32, from Highfield Road, Tipton, will now be sentenced at a separate hearing, expected to be next week.

Speaking after the unanimous decision, Judge John Warner told Fraser: "It's life imprisonment, the only issue is how long you spend in custody before you are released."

During the trial, the jury heard violence flared in the pub on October 16.

Mr Hadley, who was 30, and his father, both from Slater Street in West Bromwich, had been drinking in Tipton and West Bromwich before the incident.

By the time they reached the Lounge Bar, they had consumed 10 pints of beer. The jury was shown CCTV footage of the violence that ensued involving a number of people in the bar.

In that, Kevin Hadley Jnr was hit with a pool cue by 24-year-old Shazad Ali, from Tudor Street in Tipton. It also showed another man stamping on him when he was on the floor.

Fraser, from Highfield Road in Tipton, claimed he was acting to protect himself and other customers in the pub.

But CCTV evidence clearly showed the 29-year-old stamped on Mr Hadley's face several times while the victim was lying defenceless on the floor.

Shazad Ali, 25 from Tudor Street, Tipton, pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Kevin Hadley Jnr at an earlier hearing.

Roy Cross, 30, from Powis Avenue, Tipton, has pleaded guilty to inflicting grievous bodily harm on Kevin Hadley senior, and to attempting to inflict grievous bodily harm with intent.

Sadaqut Ali, 32, from Madeley Road, Kingswinford, has pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

Hafizur Rahman, 30, from Tudor Street, Tipton, pleaded guilty to using threatening words or behaviour.