Police probe man's death after Litten Tree assault

A man has died after allegedly being assaulted in the Litten Tree on Saturday night, police said.

The 44-year-old - who has not been named - was found dead at an address in the Stoke area of the city on Tuesday morning.

The death is currently being treated as unexplained and a post mortem is due to take place on Wednesday to determine the exact cause of death.

A 24-year-old man has been arrested this morning in connection with the incident.

Detective Inspector Stuart Bell, who is leading the enquiry, said: "We would ask anyone who witnessed the assault which happened at around 1am on Saturday to contact us as soon as possible."

Anyone with information about the incident should call Willenhall Police Station on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Coventry man charged with assault

A 24-YEAR-OLD man has been charged with assault following an incident outside a Coventry city centre pub.

Lee Dunkley, of Adelaide Street, Hillfields, appeared at Coventry Magistrates Court this morning.

He was remanded in custody and will appear again in court on April 2.

The alleged victim, aged 44, died three days after the attack. He was found at a house in Glencoe Road, Stoke, on Tuesday.

He suffered a head injury in an altercation outside the Litten Tree in Warwick Row at 1am on Saturday.

An initial post mortem examination was unable to find out the exact cause of death. Further testing is due to take place over the next few days.

Another man was arrested on suspicion of assault this morning. The 19-year-old is still in custody. Call police on 101 if you can help.

A man accused of an attack outside a Coventry pub has been charged with murder after his alleged victim died.

Lee Dunkley, aged 24, was due to appear at the crown court in Leamington yesterday to enter a plea to a charge of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

But just three hours before the hearing was due to start his defence team was told he would also be charged with murder.

The charge relates to an incident outside the Litten Tree, in Warwick Row, on December 15 in which 44-year-old Eneas McNulty was assaulted.

Mr McNulty, a father of two, was found dead at a home in Glencoe Road, Stoke, three days later.

Dunkley, of Pioneer House, Adelaide Street, Hillfields, spoke only to confirm his name during yesterday’s hearing.

Richard Franck, prosecuting, said: “We would like to prepare a new indictment alleging two counts.

“One of murder and one of causing GBH with intent.”

Sarah Holland, appearing for Dunkley, said: “I accept that there’s a prima facie case but I believe the crown still has further investigations to do.

“I was informed at 11.30am today that the murder charge was to be placed today.”

No pleas to either charge were entered and no bail applications were made.

Dunkley will appear at the same court for a plea and case management hearing on June 7.

Judge Richard Griffith-Jones said: “You will be back in court on June 7 but I hope you will be seen by your lawyers well before then.”

Foleshill teenager charged with murder after altercation at Coventry pub

A teenager has been charged with murder in connection with an altercation at a Coventry city centre pub last year.

The 19-year-old from Foleshill will appear at Coventry Magistrates Court tomorrow over the death of Eneas McNulty on December 18.

The 44-year-old was found dead at a property in Glencoe Road, Stoke, after the incident at the Litten Tree in Warwick Row.

A post mortem examination to establish the cause of Mr McNulty’s death proved inconclusive.

Further tests are being carried out.

A second man, Lee Dunkley, 24, of Hillfields, has already been charged with murder over the death and appeared at Leamington Crown Court on Friday.

Pair to stand trial over Litten Tree death

TWO men are to stand trial over the alleged murder of a father of two who died at his family’s home three days after being ferociously attacked outside the Litten Tree in the city centre.

Lee Dunkley, 24, of Pioneer House in Hillfields, and Benetton Kelly, 19, of Stuart House in Bell Green, are both charged with the murder of 44-year-old Eneas McNulty.

They both also pleaded not guilty at Warwick Crown Court to wounding Mr McNulty with intent to cause him grievous bodily harm during the original incident which happened on Saturday, December 15.

The case was adjourned for trial, which is expected to last up to four weeks, in April next year and Dunkley was granted bail, but Kelly was remanded in custody.

Judge Richard Griffith-Jones was told the issues in the trial were to be not only whether Dunkley and Kelly were responsible for the initial attack, but whether there was any link between that and Mr McNulty’s death.

The court heard the attack on Mr McNulty outside the Litten Tree was not actually witnessed by anyone and he was in the recovery position when witnesses saw him.

He was taken to hospital, but was discharged the following evening and taken to his family’s home. But early on the Tuesday morning Mr McNulty was found dead and had been dead for some time.

Pair jailed for 10 years after brutal attack outside Coventry pub



Two men who battered a “much-loved person” senseless outside a Coventry pub have been jailed for a decade.

Lee Dunkley and Benetton Kelly attacked 44-year-old Eneas McNulty in the smoking area of the Litten Tree, in Warwick Row, in Coventry city centre, in December 2012.

Mr McNulty was found fitting on the ground and bleeding from cuts and grazes.

A court heard that Mr McNulty phoned his son from his hospital bed and said he had no idea why he had been attacked. He died three days later.

Dunkley, of Pioneer House, Hillfields, claimed Mr McNulty had attacked him and he had kicked him in the face in self defence.

Kelly, of no fixed address, pinned the blame entirely on Dunkley, but in a phone call made to a friend while on remand he said: “We had a fight and battered some geezer, me and Lee.”

After Mr McNulty’s death the pair were both charged with murder and wounding with intent.

Dunkley, 26, and Kelly, 21, denied both charges and after a trial earlier this year they were found guilty of the lesser charge.

Jurors couldn’t reach a verdict on the allegation of murder and a retrial was ordered.

It took place at Coventry Crown Court where a new jury heard doctors could not be sure whether the injuries Mr McNulty received in the attack led to his death.

Judge Richard Griffith-Jones accepted there wasn’t enough evidence for the jury to conclude the attack “contributed significantly” to Mr McNulty’s death.

Judge Griffith-Jones said the case involved the “tragic death of a much-loved person” and that “with great sadness” he would direct the jury to enter not guilty verdicts on the murder charge.

For the wounding conviction, he jailed both men for ten years each, saying it would have been 12 years had they been older.

At the first trial prosecutor David Matthew said that Mr McNulty had drank five or six pints with his family at the Litten Tree on the night he was attacked.

Mr Matthew added: “He did not get home that night. That was because these two had battered him senseless, so he spent the night in hospital.”

The court heard there was an incident in the pub after a young woman accidentally knocked Dunkley’s drink over and he became aggressive, shouting ‘I’m Lee Dunkley’.

Mr Matthew said: “The prosecution can’t say who started it. Only these two out of those who are alive know that.

“Lee Dunkley said Eneas McNulty had challenged him about how he had been speaking to the girl; and that Mr McNulty had attacked him and pushed him to the floor, but he had wriggled free and pushed him back.

“He said Mr McNulty was grabbing at his leg, so he may have kicked him to the bottom of his face. He said he didn’t know where Kelly was during the struggle.”

Mr McNulty told his son he had no idea why he had been attacked, adding: “I was trying to grab at their legs, but they were stamping on my hands.”