Carl Tindall manslaughter case: Suspects silent at death trial
A man accused of killing Carl Tindall along with three others who allegedly lied to protect him have decided not to give evidence before a jury.
Jamie Sleigh, 36, of St John's Road in Cannock, has been charged with the manslaughter of 35-year-old Mr Tindall of Brocton, in which he denies.
Mr Tindall's girlfriend Sarah Hurmson, aged 36 from Greig Court in Heath Hayes, her sister 32-year-old Louise Hurmson, from Avenue Road, Heath Hayes, along with her boyfriend Anthony Boddison, 26, of St Peter's Gardens, Stafford each deny a count of assisting an offender.
Statements and police interviews from the accused have been read out before the jury during the trial, which is now in its second week at Stafford Crown Court.
But as the prosecution case drew to a close yesterday lawyers representing all four defendants confirmed they would not be giving evidence themselves.
It prompted Judge Michael Chambers QC to warn that the jury may 'draw such inferences' from their failure to give evidence and subject themselves to questioning before the court.
Mr Tindall died in hospital on August 24, two days after he was found unresponsive in Cull Avenue by people including an off-duty nurse.
The prosecution case is that Sleigh, who was alleged to have been having a relationship with the victim's girlfriend Sarah Hurmson, punched Mr Tindall outside of a home in Plant Crescent, Stafford, causing him to fall back, crack his head on the pavement fatally fracturing his skull.
The defendants have argued it was Boddison who 'pushed' Mr Tindall causing him to fall.
They then claimed out of concern for his welfare Sleigh and Boddison put the stricken man in the back of a BMW and were taking him to County Hospital only to leave him on Cull Avenue stating he came around and started to become aggressive towards the pair.
But neurosurgeon Naeem Farooqi disputed that notion.
The trial continues.
