Man jailed after leaving another man in coma who later died in Birmingham

A man has been jailed after leaving another man in coma who later died in Birmingham.

Raymond Isherwood and a woman were walking along Chapel Street in Handsworth before encountering Jason Smith on May 28 last year.

A short argument followed and Mr Smith was heard to say "I don't want to fight you" before Isherwood punched him.

After knocking Mr Smith to the ground, Isherwood was seen rifling through his pockets, stealing money and leaving the scene and leaving him for dead.

Mr Smith was found by passing motorists 45 minutes later and taken to hospital, where he was found to have sustained serious skull and brain injuries.

Despite the efforts of medical staff, he never regained consciousness and life support was switched off on 2 June.

Isherwood was arrested a couple of days later and originally answered no comment, before submitting a written statement falsely claiming he had acted in self-defence.

Isherwood and Mr Smith were known to each other, but the exact reason behind the attack remains unknown.

At a hearing at Birmingham Crown Court on Thursday (February 29th), Isherwood was sentenced to eight year in prison.

In sentencing, the judge talked about the "profound effect" Mr Smith's death had had on his family, who described him as a much-loved son, brother and friend.

He also said: "No sentence I could pass today could reflect adequately the sense of overwhelming grief Jason Smith's family will continue to suffer."