Murder investigation launched after Walsall man dies following assault
Ryan David Harvey was attacked in Blackpool
A murder investigation's underway after a Walsall man died following an assault in Blackpool at the weekend.
Lancashire police were called to reports of a fight on Central Drive on Saturday afternoon - where Ryan David Harvey was found with a serious head injury
The 22-year-old was taken to Royal Preston Hospital but passed away from his injuries on Tuesday (28th June).
In a tribute, Ryan’s family said:
“A family has lost their little boy due to an incident that happened on Saturday in Blackpool. Our little Ryan was a bubbly lad who would do anything for anyone. Ryan was a lifelong Walsall FC fan who lived and breathed football. We are absolutely heartbroken and would appreciate some privacy at this time to grieve for our loss.”
A post mortem examination concluded that the cause of Ryan’s death was blunt head trauma.
Enquiries to establish exactly how Ryan came about his injuries are ongoing.
A 32-year-old man from Fleetwood was arrested on suspicion of murder yesterday afternoon (29th June). He remains in custody at this time.
Detectives would like to thank members of the public for assisting in identifying two people in CCTV stills released as part of a previous appeal. The woman in the CCTV is not considered a suspect in the matter.
A 36-year-old man was arrested on Saturday at the scene. Paul Atherton, from Knowsley Crescent, Thornton Cleveleys, has since been charged with Section 18 Wounding, Section 47 Wounding, two Section 39 Assaults and possession of an offensive weapon in a public place.
He appeared before Blackpool magistrates on Monday and was remanded into custody.
Temporary DCI Rach Higson, of the Force Major Investigation Team, said:
“This altercation has led to a young man losing his life and my thoughts are very much with Ryan’s family and friends at this time.
“We have a dedicated team of officers assigned to this investigation and we are determined to establish exactly what occurred and identify everybody involved.
“Although we have now made two arrests our enquiries are very much ongoing. I would ask anybody with information or CCTV, dashcam or mobile phone footage which could assist our enquiries to come forward as soon as possible.
“This happened on a busy street in the middle of the day where there were lots of people and traffic around.”