Cody Fisher’s girlfriend and best friend pay tribute after nightclub killers convicted
ITV News Central Journalist Rosie Dowsing hears from the girlfriend and best friend of Cody Fisher who was stabbed to death on Boxing Day
The best friend and girlfriend of murdered footballer Cody Fisher say memories of the horror nightclub attack are still as vivid as ever.
The former Bromsgrove FC and Stratford Town player was stabbed to death on the dancefloor of Crane nightclub in Digbeth in Birmingham on Boxing Day 2022.
A third defendant, Reegan Anderson, 19, was found not guilty of murder, but guilty of affray.
Cody’s girlfriend Jessica Chatwin and best friend Daniel Vann have spoken exclusively to ITV News.
They said the event was supposed to be a fun night out to see their favourite DJ, but it ended in tragedy.
Jess said: “I'll never understand how this could happen, especially to someone like Cody.”
A brawl broke out on the dancefloor just before midnight, with Cody as the target.
Dan, who was also attacked that night, said: “I saw a large group of people coming towards us in an aggressive manner. I could see them being really aggressive towards Cody.”
When the mob turned on Dan, he said he feared for his life.
“It happened really quick. I just remember taking loads of hits, kicks, everything, and getting separated from where Cody was.”
Meanwhile, Jess rushed to Cody’s aid once she saw he had fallen to the floor during the attack.
She said: “He was surrounded by people.
“At first, I thought he had been knocked out, so I was just trying to speak to him, trying to put him in the recovery position.
“It wasn’t until I tried to move him that I realised there was a knife in him. That was the moment I realised he had been stabbed.
“I was just shouting, and screaming, trying to work it out. I couldn’t believe what had happened.”
Despite CPR efforts, Dan and Jess were told Cody had died at the scene.
Dan said: “Our reaction was pure shock.
“He was literally my best mate, we did everything together. We’d always go out together, even if it was just me and him.”
‘Awful act of revenge’
During the trial of Cody Fisher’s killers, it emerged that the story started two days before Boxing Day, with a chance encounter on Christmas Eve at Popworld in Solihull between Cody Fisher and Remy Gordon.
It was a busy dancefloor, and the cramped conditions meant Cody had brushed past the back of Gordon while leaving the club.
Gordon confronted Cody about having been pushed, but the encounter ended without violence as Cody and Dan left the club for a lift home with Jess.
But Gordon harboured resentment, asking friends on a Snapchat group chat whether anyone knew who Cody Fisher was.
He had managed to acquire a photo of Cody from Instagram, and while sending it asked, “Who knows this little pip squeeze?”
Then he added: “Due to shank him up.”
The prosecution told the court this was a tragically accurate prediction of events to come, and concluded that Cody’s murder two days later “was not a flash of temper, but a planned act of retribution.”
Detective Inspector Michelle Thurgood, of West Midlands Police, said: “It is shocking to me that Remy Gordon was so affronted by such a small incident that he sought to identify who the person was who had simply done no more than knocked into him.”
‘Now I don’t trust anyone’
Gordon, Carpenter and Anderson all denied murder throughout the trial at Birmingham Crown Court, but evidence from witnesses placed them at the scene during Cody Fisher’s final moments.
Cody’s girlfriend Jess told ITV Central, “I can still remember their faces, hear their voice, hear exactly what they were saying to him and how aggressive the situation was.
“I only saw them for a few seconds but can now see them every single day. The memory doesn’t fade.”
Asked if the events of that night have changed her life forever, she replied: “Yes absolutely.
“I don’t like being in crowds of people, I don’t trust anyone, everything from that night has changed how I used to live my life as a 23-year-old-girl.”
Best friend and fellow footballer Daniel Vann added: “I’m still scared to go out to places sometimes.
“If I ever do go out, rarely, I need a lot of people with me just to make sure I feel safe. You never know what could happen."
Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know...