‘Powerful’ punches led to war veteran’s death 10 months after attack, trial told

A man landed “powerful and cowardly” punches on an Iraq War veteran in a street attack that caused him a severe brain injury he never recovered from, a murder trial has been told.

British Army veteran Lee Woodward, 39, died in hospital 10 months after he was left brain damaged from an attack by 32-year-old Gregory Twigg in Trade Street, Stoke-on-Trent on the night of June 24 2022, Stafford Crown Court heard.

The defendant, who was jailed in September 2022 after pleading guilty to grievous bodily harm with intent for the attack on Mr Woodward, is now on trial accused of murder after Mr Woodward died from complications arising from his injuries on April 26 2023.

Twigg, who wore a black jumper and blue jeans for the start of the five-day trial on Tuesday, listened with the assistance of an intermediary in the dock as prosecution counsel David Mason KC outlined the case.

He told the jury of five men and seven women that Twigg, previously of Blurton in Stoke-on-Trent, had punched Mr Woodward, who had been on a night out with his fiancee Kate Griffin in Stoke, “really hard, not once, not twice, but three times”.

He said: “The first punch floored him. The second knocked him back into a car and the last completely knocked him out and he never recovered.

“When Gregory Twigg delivered this (final) punch, we say Lee Woodward was in no position to defend himself.

“He was increasingly vulnerable to a determined attack and as a direct result of this attack, he suffered a brain injury and arising medical complications that resulted in his death.

“There is no doubt that Gregory Twigg killed Lee Woodward, because it was his attack that caused him to die.

“We don’t say he intended to kill Lee Woodward, but he intended to cause him really serious injury.”

CCTV of the lead-up and the attack itself was played to the jury, showing Mr Woodward leaving The Liquor Vaults pub in Trade Street at around 11pm before his fiancee and walking down towards Hill Street with a man who has not been identified.

As he reached Hill Street, he encountered a white Vauxhall Astra in which Twigg was a backseat passenger, before the car makes a sharp turn onto Trade Street and Mr Woodward appears to return to the road to meet them as the driver, Nathan Lockley, and some of the other four passengers get out.

While Mr Woodward is focused on speaking to Mr Lockley, Twigg approaches from the side and delivers a “powerful” punch to his face, knocking him to the ground and leaving him looking “like a highly dazed boxer” as he tried to regain his balance, Mr Mason said.

He told the jury: “Gregory Twigg tracked his recovery to his feet and landed a second powerful and cowardly punch to his head. Lee Woodward would barely have seen it coming and was in no position to defend himself. It sent his head and body into the parked car this time.”

While Mr Lockley and some of the other female passengers tried to get Twigg to move away, he instead “honed in” on Mr Woodward, landing a third punch to his head.

Mr Mason said: “It was a devastating blow to his head with pinpoint precision, full power and that was it, lights out. He lay motionless on the road, out cold. It was immediately obvious he was very unwell.”

While the occupants in the Vauxhall got back in the car and left the scene, an unconscious Mr Woodward was rushed to hospital with a laceration to the back of his head and a CT scan revealed a subdural haematoma on the left side of his brain.

He was transferred to a high-dependency neurological ward by mid-July and he had developed a number of complications including an infection in his brain.

Mr Woodward underwent eight surgeries by August 2022, could only occasionally open his eyes, could not speak and would likely be bed-bound and require full-time care in a nursing home had he survived.

Mr Mason said: “Moving into 2023 and Lee Woodward’s injuries were sadly so serious he never recovered, he never left the hospital and he died in April 2023.

“He died from his injuries and the complications that arose from them. There is no doubt Gregory Twigg caused Lee Woodward’s death.”

Addressing the jury, Mr Mason said: “Gregory Twigg has pleaded not guilty to murder. He does accept he caused Lee Woodward’s death, but he is going to deny that he intended to cause those really serious injuries.

“We say this matter is crystal clear. Gregory Twigg did intend to cause Lee Woodward really serious injury. He admitted that at Stoke Crown Court in 2022 and was sentenced for that in 2022.

“The intention he admitted to having when he was charged with GBH means he is guilty. Lee Woodward’s death is a consequence that Gregory Twigg must now face.”

The trial continues.