A man has been sentenced to more than 12 years in prison for killing a “caring, loving and strong” grandfather because he reminded him to check on his children.
Grandfather Stuart Newton, 65, had been drinking with 32-year-old Nathan Scott Williams at his daughter Abigail’s home in Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, on 13 February 2020 when he took issue with the comments.
Preston Crown Court heard Williams reacted badly to the words and left the house with Mr Newton before assaulting him.
A post-mortem examination revealed Mr Newton’s injuries were consistent with him being “stamped and kicked”.
The court heard that after the attack Williams shouted “I’ve hit him”, and Abigail went over to check on her father.
The group decided against calling an ambulance immediately, the court heard. Instead they made the call to emergency services some time later, where they told paramedics that Mr Newton had fallen down.
When doctors said he needed a higher level of care, Mr Newton was taken to Royal Preston Hospital where a nurse disputed his injuries were from a fall and instead believed he had been assaulted.
He was later pronounced brain dead and was taken off a life support machine the following day.
Prosecuting lawyers told the court Williams sent a message to a man named John Smith, at around 2:24am on 31 February, saying he had “gone into hiding”.
He wrote: “I think I have killed Abi’s dad, or put him in a coma, I am going to have to keep hid for a bit.
“Please don’t say anything as people getting told something else and they don’t want anyone else to know.”
Williams had been on trial for murder, and was due to be retried in January after the jury was unable to reach a verdict at his first trial in April 2021.
However, he pleaded guilty to manslaughter on 17 January this year. Passing sentence, Judge Suzanne Goddard said: “It is clear you have done a great deal more than just punch him.
“This was a brutal and forceful attack to a man’s head and carried a high risk of death.
“He was a very loved husband, father, grandfather and by killing him you have blighted the families lives forever.”
During the trial, tributes were paid to Mr Newton, with family members describing him as “generous, caring, strong and loving”. His wife, Susan, said he was the only man she ever loved.
“He was the man with whom she shared three children and had been by her side for 34 years,” lawyer Andrew Ford QC said.
