A 24-year-old keen footballer went on a night out and never came home after he was stabbed to death at a nightclub.
Ryan Passey from Quarry Bank was stabbed to death at Chicago's nightclub in Stourbridge in 2017.
On Thursday, November 18, his mum and dad paid an emotional tribute to their son at Liverpool's waterfront after the man who was cleared of murdering him was ordered to pay damages to them, reports Birmingham Live.
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Kobe Murray admitted stabbing Mr Passey, but said he did so in self-defence — an argument that was accepted by jurors who found him not guilty the following year.
A judge at Liverpool County Court ruled on Thursday that Mr Murray, 23, must pay damages totalling nearly £10,000 over Mr Passey's death after the family took action through the civil courts.
Mr Murray, from Dudley, chose not to attend the hearing and no representation was made on his behalf, meaning a default judgement was made at Liverpool County Court.
The family claimed damages from Mr Murray for "wrongfully and unlawfully causing Ryan's death", court documents seen by Black Country Live showed.
The Passey family was devastated by the not guilty verdict in 2018, vowing afterwards to continue to campaign.
Mum Gill Taylor and dad Ade Passey broke down after hearing the judgement and said they were "overwhelmed" by the decision after three years.
They visited the docks to pay an emotional tribute to their son along with step-dad Phil Taylor and friend and family spokesman Jason Connon.
Mr Connon said: "We spent some time at the docks thinking of Ryan and reflecting on our fight, the campaign and the unlawful killing ruling delivered by the court."
Ade Passey told Black Country Live following the hearing: "It's another step to where we want to get to for Ryan. This journey we are on, we have kept fighting and fighting. It's massive."
It was recently announced West Midlands Police's investigation into Mr Passey's death was to be reviewed by another force.
Mr Passey was out with friends when trouble flared between the two groups in the night club.
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