The prosecutor told Hull Crown Court ‘I anticipate that each of the defendants will be claiming that they were acting in lawful self-defence’
Martin Chadburn died in April(Image: hull4heroes.org.uk)
The five people accused of murdering 53-year-old Martin Chadburn, a Hull 4 Heroes development officer, during “street violence” in the early hours of the morning were likely to claim that they acted in self-defence, a court heard. Three young women – including twin sisters – and two men are said to have been part of a “group attack” that left Army veteran Mr Chadburn slumped unconscious with an “non-survivable” brain injury, Hull Crown Court was told.
Before the court are 20-year-old twins Britney Naylor, of Dibsdane, Orchard Park estate, north Hull, and Bethany Naylor, of Deerhurst Grove, Bransholme, Hull, as well as Kristjan Suits, 35, of Queens Road, Hull, and Lucasz Matusiak, 27, of Needlers Way, Hull, along with Shaytoyia Farrow, 21, of Peter Street, Blackpool. They all deny murdering Mr Chadburn on April 21 as well as the lesser offence of manslaughter.
David Brooke KC, prosecuting, said that the incident happened in Hull city centre after about 3.30am on Sunday, April 19. Police were called to an incident and found a man, Martin Chadburn, on the ground, bleeding from the head and unresponsive.
It quickly became apparent that Mr Chadburn had been left seriously injured after a street fight. The emergency services were called and he was taken to hospital.
“He was found to have a non-survivable brain injury,” said Mr Brooke. Mr Chadburn died two days later on April 21. He had suffered a fatal bleed on the blow caused by a blow or blows to the head.
Mr Brooke told the court: “I anticipate that each of the defendants will be claiming that they were acting in lawful self-defence of themselves or another.” But he claimed that their actions were not reasonable, necessary or in defence.
“It’s at best retaliation,” said Mr Brooke. “It’s neither necessary nor reasonable.” It did not justify what happened, claimed Mr Brooke.
“What we say is that it was unlawful group violence,” he said. A bystander had claimed that the women were the more aggressive.
Mr Chadburn’s friend followed them to try to film them and he did manage to get a picture of the taxi that they got into. This was what helped the police track them down.
Mr Brooke said earlier that Mr Chadburn and a male friend of more than 35 years had been out for the night. They had been in the city centre since 6pm on the Saturday night and they were “intoxicated”.
The last pub they visited was The Star in Carr Lane and they left about 3.30pm to get a taxi home.
The three women, the Naylor twins and Farrow, came into contact with them in the area of The Star. Mr Chadburn’s friend said that he could not remember what sparked a confrontation.
The friend was, according to a woman on the scene, said to have made comments towards the three women but Mr Chadburn was “quieter”. The men were told to “f*** off” but other comments were made, it was claimed.
“Unfortunately, it did not end there,” said Mr Brooke. It was claimed that Bethany Naylor said: “I aren’t having this” and she set off to follow the two men.
Bethany Naylor was said to have stubbed out a cigarette on the neck of Mr Chadburn’s friend. Farrow and Britney Naylor followed her.
The other two men, Suits and Matusiak, became involved. They had earlier been on their own separate night out but saw what was happening.
“It’s obvious that they became involved in what was a developing situation,” claimed Mr Brooke. They ran up. Britney Naylor punched Mr Chadburn in the face and he threw a punch at her.
Matusiak was said to have punched him five times, causing Mr Chadburn to roll onto the ground. It was “so hard that it put him to the ground”. Farrow was said to have stamped on his back while he was on the ground.
“By the end of this, Martin Chadburn is on the ground with a fatal brain injury,” said Mr Brooke. There was a tear in an artery and he suffered a brain injury.
It was a case of “street violence and a joint enterprise”, claimed Mr Brooke. “This was plainly unlawful group violence,” he said.
The trial, estimated to last about four weeks, continues.
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