COVENTRY MESSAGE BOARD

The injured man was found unconscious after the fight in the early hours of Sunday morning



A man was taken to hospital with a fractured skull after a mass brawl outside a Coventry nightclub.

As many as 20 people were involved in the fight outside So Club Room, formerly Club M, in Hertford Place which saw police called at around 6.15am this morning.

The injured man was found unconscious on the floor and was taken to hospital where West Midlands Police say he is being monitored.

Part of the club and the area around it is still taped off this morning and officers are still on the scene.

Any witnesses are urged to call police on 101 and ask for the violent crime team based at Willenhall police station, or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Man found unconscious after street brawl in Coventry was hit over head with an object

Police have revealed that the man found unconscious following a mass brawl outside a Coventry nightclub was hit over the head with an object.

The Telegraph reported this morning that the 25-year-old man had suffered a fractured skull and was taken to hospital after violence erupted outside So Club Room, formerly Club M, in Hertford Place at around 6.15am today.

As many as 20 people were believed to be involved in the fighting and the victim was found slumped on the floor.

West Midlands Police have now launched an investigation and part of the club and the area around it remained taped off this morning.

The force said that the injured man is being monitored closely in hospital.

Det Sgt Michelle Kiedron has urged anyone who saw the brawl or witnessed anyone running from the scene to get in touch.

She said: “We’re examining CCTV in the location in a hope that will help explain what happened and who was involved.

“We believe those responsible had been drinking in the area before the disturbance broke out.

“If anyone has any information about what happened, maybe they witnessed the build-up to the fight, I’d urge them to contact me.

“We know there were also people in the area making an early start to their day and they may also have seen something important.”

Anyone with information can call the force’s violent crime team at Willenhall police station on 101, quoting reference 630 of May 29.

Man still in serious condition two weeks after being injured in mass brawl outside Coventry nightclub

A man who suffered a fractured skull following a mass brawl outside a Coventry nightclub remains in hospital two weeks later.

The 25-year-old was found unconscious outside So Club Room, in Hertford Place, after a fight involving as many as 20 people on Sunday, May 29.

Detectives have spoken to a number of witnesses and have trawled through CCTV in the area, and revealed that the injured man was hit over the head.

West Midlands Police say he is still in hospital in a serious but stable condition.

Officers are still eager to speak to anyone who was in the area at the time who is yet to come forward or has any information on the incident.

The Telegraph previously asked West Midlands Police whether So Club Room’s licence would be looked at as part of the investigation.

Read more Man found unconscious after street brawl in Coventry was hit over head with an object

A spokesman said: “As with any serious incident in the vicinity of licensed premises it is standard procedure to scrutinise business practices.”

Anyone who witnessed the brawl or has any information is urged to call police on 101, quoting reference 630 of May 29.

Coventry nightclub could lose licence after review sparked by trouble



A nightclub in Coventry is set to have its licence reviewed after it was claimed there had been an “increase in disorder”.

Licensing chiefs at the city council will decide whether or not So Club Room, formerly Club M, can keep its premises licence after being asked to hold the review at the request of West Midlands Police.

The venue in Hertford Place is accused of “poor management and lack of control” by police, which has resulted in serious injuries to customers over the past year.

The most recent incident saw a 25-year-old man suffer a fractured skull following a mass brawl outside the club on May 29.

The fight is believed to have involved up to 20 people.

The grounds for review are “that the licensing objectives of the Prevention of Crime and Disorder, has not been promoted in that West Midlands Police have called for a review on the grounds of poor management and lack of control at the premises.

“This has led to an increase in disorder incidents over the last 12 months, which some, have resulted in serious injury to customers.”

The review could lead to the club losing its licence, being handed strict conditions on things such as opening hours and serving times, or the licence remaining as it is.

Other previous disturbances at the club included a mum of four being beaten up after getting caught in the middle of a dispute between door staff and three men who had been thrown out of the city centre venue.

Another incident saw a doorman stabbed in the side during a New Year’s Eve party.

Coventry nightclub allowed to remain open after licence reprieve



A Coventry nightclub has been allowed to remain open after council chiefs decided not to strip it of its licence.

West Midlands Police initially wanted to revoke the licence of So Club Room, in Hertford Place, following a string of violent incidents linked to the venue, including one which left a man with life-changing injuries.

It appears talks between the club’s bosses and officers resulted in a compromise which has seen a number of strict conditions placed on the licence instead.

And those recommendations were rubber-stamped by Coventry City Council’s licensing and regulatory committee, who have the final say on such matters, at a four-hour hearing on Thursday.

The 13 conditions include factors such as CCTV, staff training, licensable activities ceasing at 4am, the venue closing at 5am, and risk assessments being made to police ahead of certain events.

Duncan Craig, representing West Midlands Police, told the committee - made up of chairman Coun Tariq Khan and Couns Randhir Auluck and Gary Crookes - that the review was brought by the force following an incident on May 29, 2016, which left a 25-year-old man with “life-changing injuries”.

He had been attacked with a broom handle outside the club and suffered a fractured skull.

The assault was one of a number of incidents highlighted in a police report, with others including wraps of powder being found at the club in September last year and a reported assault with one of the witnesses being 17-years-old.

The club was put on a police action plan, but the venue failed to adhere to some of the agreed steps, said Mr Craig.

However, after a change in the management set-up things improved slowly, before “regressing” once more in the lead-up to the incident on May 29.

Mr Craig said that over the last 12 months there had been 16 reported crimes from So Club Room.

Freddie Humphreys, representing the licensee, told the committee that they had been “taking the matter seriously” and “engaged with the police”.

“These conditions are a result of an ongoing process since the police report was put in”, he said.

“At no point has there been a substantial dispute - it’s all been about refinement to achieve what it is the police say needs to be achieved.”

As for the incident on May 29, Mr Humphreys said: “We have to accept that relevant staff didn’t exercise their judgement as they properly should have.

“We have to accept that and apologise for that.”

He stated that it was the only incident this year and “shows a pattern of improvement”.

The committee also heard from the club’s designated premises supervisor, Darren Raynor, who was working in the early hours of May 29 when the young man was seriously injured.

He said: “It happened at the side of the club after we had closed. We went outside to speak to a couple of people to keep them away.

“We were then positioned near to the injured man and his friends were adamant that they didn’t want us to be near him.

“We knew police were on their way and we assumed - perhaps wrongly - that as police were coming then an ambulance was also on its way.

“So we kept some distance - I believe that if we had gone in to intervene it could have made the situation worse.

“We also didn’t believe his injuries were as bad as they turned out to be. If it was the wrong judgement call then I can only apologise for that.

“Do I wish I had acted differently knowing now his injuries - yes. But I feared it would end up as a battle with his friends.”

After deliberating for around 45 minutes, the committee decided to agree to the new conditions on the licence and noted the support of the police towards the licensee and also the improvement in the relationship between the two over the past 12 months.

• A 21-year-old man has been charged with wounding in connection with the incident on May 29.

Dylan Kalubi, of Meadow Street, Spon End, appeared at Coventry Magistrates’ Court earlier this month where he was remanded in custody ahead of a further hearing at Warwick Crown Court on September 15.