Cocaine-fuelled thug sentenced to life for homicide of Iraq War veteran | UK | News | EUROtoday

A cocaine-fuelled thug who murdered an Iraq War veteran in a ferocious road assault has been jailed for all times. Gregory Twigg, 32, landed three “powerful and cowardly” punches on medically-retired British Army veteran Lee Woodward, in a savage assault which left him severely mind broken. He died 10 months later.

Twigg, who was already serving an eight-year and three-month jail sentence, after pleading responsible in September 2022 to grievous bodily hurt with intent for the assault on Mr Woodward, has now been informed he should serve at the very least 11 years behind bars. At his sentencing listening to Twigg was criticised by the decide for “stringing out” the case by pleading not responsible to homicide, extending and amplifying the anguish of his sufferer’s companion and stepdaughters.

In sufferer impression statements learn to Stafford Crown Court on Friday, family members of the 39-year-old sufferer described their emotions of ache and anguish throughout Mr Woodward’s “deterioration” in hospital.

Mr Woodward was somebody who “kept his family strong”, they mentioned.

The trial was informed Mr Woodward had been on an evening out along with his fiancee Kate Griffin when he turned embroiled in a row that might finish his life.

In her sufferer impression assertion to the courtroom, Ms Griffin mentioned: “My boy and us as a family went through hell.”

She added that the accidents triggered to her companion had been “severe and cruel” and watching his situation worsen in hospital had been “absolutely horrific”.

Twigg, who admitted he had taken cocaine and had drunk vodka and sambuca, informed his trial he had develop into offended after Mr Woodward had allegedly sworn at and threatened him and his associates as they had been driving previous him on their option to an evening out.

The driver, Nathan Lockley, pulled the automobile over and a confrontation ensued, with Twigg leaping from the again seat of the car and unleashing three brutal blows on Mr Woodward.

David Mason KC mentioned Twigg had been “fired up on drink and coke and raging” when he attacked Mr Woodward, who he mentioned posed no menace to the defendant, after the primary punch left him wanting “like a highly dazed boxer”.

CCTV from a close-by pub captured Twigg knocking Mr Woodward, who was over six ft tall, to the bottom, earlier than a second punch knocked him right into a parked automobile.

The third punch left him unconscious within the street and Twigg fled the scene along with his associates. He was arrested lower than an hour later in Newcastle-under-Lyme.

Mr Woodward accidents had been so extreme medical doctors mentioned he would have required full-time care in a nursing dwelling for the remainder of his life, however he died in April 2023 after contracting peritonitis and pneumonia in hospital.

Twigg insisted he by no means meant to trigger Mr Woodward severe hurt and had solely needed to present him a black eye in order that he would go away him and his associates alone.

He mentioned he punched him twice extra as a result of he feared Mr Woodward was going to hit him again, and he was “devastated” that his actions had resulted in his loss of life.

But Ms Griffin mentioned her companion of 10 years, who had been medically retired from the British Army after struggling a again damage whereas on a tour of Iraq, relied on sturdy remedy and would by no means have began a battle due to his again ache.

It emerged in courtroom that Twigg has three earlier convictions for battery between 2014 and 2019 and was jailed for 30 months in 2020 for making threats to kill and housebreaking.

Ahmed Hossain KC, mitigating, informed the courtroom in mitigation: “Mr Twigg readily understands that he is going to receive a life sentence and offers remorse.

“He now understands not just the dreadful and tragic outcome of his violence but he also understands some of the triggers of that violence.”

Passing sentence on Twigg, previously of Blurton, Stoke-on-Trent, Judge Roger Thomas KC dominated that the minimal time period to be served from the purpose of sentencing can be 11 years.

The decide mentioned the minimal time period would have been 14 years, however time served and spent on remand meant it needed to be lowered by three years.

The decide informed Twigg: “Although you may regret the consequences of your unlawful violence in so far as the consequences are concerned for you, it is difficult to accept that you are truly remorseful in any wider sense.”

Twigg would have pleaded responsible to homicide had he been actually remorseful for the “sustained and heavy” assault carried out in three levels, the decide mentioned.

Speaking in July after the four-day homicide trial, Detective Sergeant Garry Jackson mentioned: “This is an extremely tragic case that has caused immeasurable pain and loss to Lee’s family.

“They have had to go through this ordeal in court on two separate occasions and I’m glad that we were able to secure this conviction for them after so much heartache.”