Two brothers have been found guilty of causing the death of a paralysed man who passed away 13 years after he was attacked while sat in his car.
Kyle and Bernie Smith have both been found guilty of the manslaughter of Craig Robins who was assaulted in his own vehicle outside a house party.
Mr Robins was attacked in Hednesford, Staffordshire, after driving around with a machete to unveil who was responsible for damaging his car on October 30 2006, Stafford Crown Court was told.
Mr Robins spent weeks in hospital before proceeding to spend years at home with 24/7 care from his family but he never woke up. He sadly died in 2019, reports Birmingham Live.
Four men were charged over his death. Gavin Brown has pleaded guilty to murder and James Milligan admitted to manslaughter.
But brothers Kyle and Bernie Smith pleaded not guilty to manslaughter and were found guilty by a jury today following a trial.
Mr Robins died at the age of 41, but in 1997 when he was 19 he was in a car accident which left him paralysed from the chest down.
He managed to have an independent life, he used a wheelchair and drove an adapted car, Mr Jeremy Benson, prosecuting, said.
Mr Robins worked as a jeweller in Birmingham and lived with his partner in Hednesford.
The victim had reported to police his car was being damaged and he was "frightful he was being targeted by locals because he was disabled", the jury were told.
On the day of the attack the group of four were at a house party in Lomax Road and Bernie Smith was outside, the jury heard.
He returned in and told his older brother Kyle that someone in a silver car had turned up with a knife.
The four went outside, confronted and attacked Mr Robins as he sat in the car, with Gavin Brown seizing the machete and hitting him nine times with it to his head and neck, Mr Benson said.
And James Milligan picked up a brick and threw it through the open driver's window before the defendants ran off, he added.
Mr Benson described the incident as a "group attack" and said each of the two defendants took part.
But Mr Ignatius Hughes QC , defending Kyle Smith, said witnesses reported Kyle Smith trying to pull Brown off Mr Robins during the attack.
And Mr Mark Fenhalls QC, defending Bernie Smith, said a witness said they "didn't see Bernie do anything".
James Ainsley Milligan, 42, of Canford Place, Hednesford Road, Cannock, admitted manslaughter on September 7 at Stafford Crown Court.
Gavin Dwain Brown, 36, of HMP Lancaster Farm, admitted the murder of Mr Robins in June.
Bernie Peter Smith, 30, of Rowley Close, Hednesford, and Kyle Neil Smith, 33, of Pebble Mill Drive, Cannock, along with Milligan and Brown will be sentenced at a later date.
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