Two men given life sentences for murder of Cody Fisher in nightclub

The semi-professional footballer, who had previously played for Stourbridge, had been on a night out with friends when he was attacked following an ‘insignificant’ encounter with one of the killers in Solihull two nights earlier.

Today, Remy Gordon was given a life sentence, and ordered to serve at least 26 years behind bars.

Kami Carpenter was also given a life sentence, and told to spend at least 25 years behind bars.

Cody, aged 23, had accidentally bumped into Gordon at Popworld in Solihull and the pair exchanged a few words.

But Gordon refused to forget the encounter, and set about trying to identify Cody from social media images he found of him on other nights out.

He learned Cody’s name, and that he was likely to be at the Crane nightclub on Adderley Street in Digbeth on Boxing Day.

Inside the Crane, just before midnight on Boxing Day, Cody was surrounded before being headbutted, punched and kicked. He was stabbed once in the chest and died from the wound at the scene.

A major investigation was launched, with officers spending hundreds of hours reviewing CCTV footage from the Crane, as well as examining social media messaging.

It identified Gordon, as well as Carpenter and Reegan Anderson as being present on the night.

Gordon, aged 23, of Cofton Park Drive, Rednal, and Carpenter, aged 22, of Owens Croft, Kings Norton were convicted of murder. Gordon was also found guilty of affray.

They were sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court on Monday.

Anderson, aged 19, of Brookvale Park Road, Erdington, was cleared of murder, but found guilty of affray after being involved in the disorder that followed the murder.

He was given a sentence of 18 months.

In a victim impact statement, Cody’s mother Tracey said: “It is not only me who is suffering. but Cody’s father, Cody’s brother and all the rest of Cody’s loving family who miss him dearly.

“We all started our life sentences just a little over 12 months ago, when the saddest, most heart-breaking day in all of our lives happened.

“Since this horrendous day, I feel that my own life has ended.

“It is as though I too was stabbed straight through the heart. I have seen myself go from the happiest outgoing person, to fighting to get through each and every horrendous, never-ending day, in the abhorrent knowledge that my youngest son, my best friend, is never coming home to sleep in his bedroom, the room that I still cannot enter even to this day.”

Cody’s girlfriend, Jessica Chatwin, said: “I was supposed to spend the rest of my life with Cody.

"We had plans ready for the next year, places we were meant to go, and that has now been taken away from us for something so trivial, I believe to be nothing but jealously and pride.”

Detective Inspector Michelle Thurgood said: “The absolute tragedy of Cody's death is just how avoidable it was.

“For a young man’s life to be snatched away, because he’d accidentally bumped into Remy Gordon two days earlier, is almost incomprehensible.

“I’d like to pay tribute to Tracey and her family for their strength in attending court today, and with the dignity with which they have carried themselves since the awful events of Boxing Day, 2022.

“We will continue to work to tackle knife crime in the West Midlands, but police can’t do it alone.

“If you are a parent, guardian or teacher watching this, I implore you to please talk to the young people you care for about Cody’s story, and how numerous lives have been ruined because of the use of a knife.

“We can all play a part in ensuring lives are saved in the future.”