Killer caught burning clothes on barbecue is convicted of murder

A man who killed his victim by kicking him in the head has been convicted of murder - after police found him burning his clothes when they turned up to arrest him.

Martin Montgomery knocked Nigel Mazs backwards, causing him to bang his head on concrete, after the pair argued about Mr Mazs and his friends taking drugs in a communal stairwell.

The 59-year-old died in hospital 13 days after the attack on 22 December last year.

On Friday, 31-year-old Montgomery of Malakoff Close, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, was found guilty of murder by a jury at Norwich Crown Court following a nine-day trial.

He had denied murder but had previously admitted to manslaughter.

The jury took an hour to come to a unanimous verdict.

Video footage of the moments officers arrived to arrest Montgomery - at that stage for assault as Mr Mazs was in hospital - was released by Norfolk Police.

It showed officers inspecting a barbecue in a courtyard outside a friend's house in which Montgomery had tried to burn the clothes he was wearing during the attack.

When officers came to arrest him his only response was "fair enough.”

• Watch Norfolk Police officers arrest Martin Montgomery as he burns his clothes on a barbecue (Video: Norfolk Police)

During the trial, the jury heard Mr Mazs had been with friends in the stairwell when Montgomery took exception to their drug-taking.

He shouted at Mr Mazs to leave, then kicked him in the face as he bent down to pick up something, causing him to fall backwards and hit his head.

He lost consciousness and began bleeding heavily, but was able to escape with the help of his friends.

An hour later they called emergency services and he was taken to hospital, where it was found he had suffered a brain haemorrhage. He was placed into an induced coma at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge and never regained consciousness.

Det Insp Alix Wright who led the investigation said: “This was an unprovoked assault and the way that Montgomery showed no concern for his victim, a man he did not know, and continued to taunt and threaten him even after he had suffered such a catastrophic injury shows he is a dangerous individual who should be off the streets.”

Montgomery will be sentenced on Tuesday.

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