After he was convicted of manslaughter, a man who attacked a father-of-2 in a single punch attack while he was celebrating his 45th Birthday will spend years in prison.
Adam Lovatt, a native of Audlem, was killed in an attack by Samuel Thorpe in Crewe in the early hours on May 25, 2018.
Thorpe punched Mr Lovatt once on the face outside of the Bridge Inn, Shropshire Street.
Mr Lovatt fell forwards, hitting his forehead on the ground. He also suffered two skull fractures. He died later that same day.
Thorpe, aged 26, of Annions Lane, Wybunbury, was been found guilty of his manslaughter at Liverpool Crown Court after a 10-day trial and will be sentenced on November 26.
Samuel Thorpe, 26 years old, will be serving a custodial sentence in 2018 for the manslaughter Adam Lovatt.
Although a trial was originally held in January 2020, no verdict was reached. The retrial took place with a new jury for the October 11th.
Adam was celebrating his birthday at the Lord Combermere village pub that night.
He decided to continue his evening at the Shroppie fly, on Audlem Wharf while his wife went home.
Adam was in the pub when another man approached him and tried to assault him. However, others intervened.
Adam left the pub almost immediately after that and began walking back towards Shropshire Street.
Thorpe and Nicholas Hill, his co-defendant, left the pub after he left. They set off to catch up with Adam.
Thorpe met Hill next to the Bridge Inn while Hill made his way round the back of this building in an attempt to cut Adam off.
Adam Lovatt (pictured), was celebrating his 45th Birthday on the night he was shot to death.
Thorpe confronted Adam at the Bridge Inn and punched him once in the face.
Hill approached Thorpe, who was trying to wake Adam. He was clearly unconscious and had blood coming out of his head. Thorpe then instructed Hill to return to his pub. Hill did.
Thorpe fled the Shroppie Fly after a passing motorist pulled up to check Adam’s welfare. The motorist called an ambulance. A number of people who had been drinking at a pub came out to help the victim.
Thorpe and Hill drove away to avoid police attention through quiet country roads to Market Drayton. There they bought lager, before returning to Hill’s home.
They came up with a cover story together and tried to distance each other from what happened.
Thorpe left the area knowing that police were looking for him the next day and hid in a guesthouse in North Wales overnight. Police only returned to his parents’ home to arrest him.
After Adam’s murder, detectives from Cheshire Constabulary’s Major Investigation Team started an investigation. The pair were then arrested two days later.
Detective Inspector Adam Waller was the one who conducted the investigation into the death. He said that Adam’s family is grieving and trying not to be sad. Other families will also have to accept the fact that their loved ones were convicted and could spend time behind bars.
Nicolas Hill, 37, of Moorsfield Avenue in Audlem was found not guilty. However, he had previously pleaded guilty for assisting an offender at an older hearing. He will be sentenced on November 26.