Men jailed for life after admitting murder after attack victim dies 13 years after vicious assault

Paul Machin was left with serious head injuries and was rushed to hospital after being attacked by Shane Wright and Kieron Hennessey on 6 September 2006.

Mr Machin had been walking home with his girlfriend from the Windmill pub in Cherry Orton Road, Orton Longueville, Peterborough, when they came across Wright and Hennessey in a group walking the other way at about 10.40pm.

Wright insulted the couple and words were exchanged before the pair attacked Mr Machin, forcing him to the ground and repeatedly kicking and stamping on his head until he was unconscious.

The attackers were arrested soon after and in March the following year both were jailed for three-and-a-half years after being convicted of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

However, Mr Machin, who had suffered irreversible brain damage and paralysis, died in August 2019 at a care home in Liverpool.

Fresh charges of murder were brought after it was concluded the assault had caused his death and Wright and Hennessey entered guilty pleas.

Today, at Cambridge Crown Court they were jailed for life and told they would serve a minimum of nine years in prison.

Judge Mr Justice Murray said a victim statement from Mr Machin’s daughter had made it clear the huge impact the crime had had on the family.

DC Gareth Purdy said: “Wright and Hennessey were clearly looking for a fight on that night in 2006 but their attack on Mr Machin was brutal.

“Following the attack, Wright also kicked and punched Mr Machin’s distraught girlfriend and even stole from the victim as he lay lifeless on the ground.

“It was a senseless, cowardly and completely unprovoked attack, which led directly to Mr Machin’s tragic death in 2019 and the sentences handed down today.

“I cannot imagine what Mr Machin’s family have gone through since that terrible night but I hope today’s result can give them some crumbs of comfort, knowing that justice has been done.”

John Price QC, prosecuting, said the incident started when a member of the defendants’ group said insulting words towards Mr Machin and when he responded the pair attacked him.

The barrister told Cambridge Crown Court that Mr Machin never regained consciousness and died of a respiratory infection 13 years later on August 6 2019, aged 58.

The judge, the Honourable Mr Justice Murray, said during sentencing: “It was entirely gratuitous violence.”

Mr Price said that Mr Machin and Miss Powell were walking home from a night out when Wright and Hennessy came in the other direction along Cherry Orton Road with another woman and a man.

“The members of the two groups didn’t know each other,” Mr Price said.

“Mr Wright and Mr Hennessy were drunk.

“As the groups passed each other insulting words were exchanged between the defendants’ group and Mr Machin.

“It was an exchange started by a member of the defendants’ group.”

He said things escalated and Wright and Hennessy attacked Mr Machin, kicking and stamping on his head as he lay “defenceless on the ground”.

Wright went through Mr Machin’s pockets, taking his mobile phone and tobacco, he said.

“He never regained consciousness,” Mr Price said.

“For almost 13 years he remained in what’s described as a permanent vegetative state until finally he succumbed to a respiratory infection.”

Miss Powell, who died in May 2020, witnessed the attack and gave a statement to police at the time, read to the court by Mr Price.

She said that as the defendants’ group was near to them she heard a male voice say “look at you two speccy old gits”.

“We just kept on walking away,” she said.

“Within a further four paces I heard a further male voice that I recognise to be the voice of male two (Wright) say ‘I’ve shagged your missus’.

“We carried on for a further two or three steps before Paul turned around and said, ‘You will probably be my son then, because I shagged your mum’.”

She said Wright and Hennessey attacked her partner, who was knocked to the floor and punched and kicked in the head.

“While Paul was on the floor I saw male one (Hennessy) stamp on his head about 10 times in rapid succession,” she said.

“During this Paul stopped struggling.”

She said that Wright kicked him in the head, went through his pockets and punched her twice in the face.

Mr Machin’s daughter Natalie Townley said: “It’s upsetting my children never met their grandad.”

She added: “Talking about my dad with my daughter breaks me.”

Edmund Vickers QC, for Wright, who appeared by video-link from prison, said Wright was “immature”, suffered from ADHD and was remorseful.

Allison Summers QC, for Hennessy, of Wesleyan Road, Peterborough, said: “This was spontaneous violence erupting on the spur of the moment.”