Man jailed for attacking and leaving man for dead in Handsworth
Jason Smith died after being attacked by Raymond Isherwood in Chapel Street last year.
A man from Birmingham has been jailed for the cowardly killing of a man in Handsworth.
Raymond Isherwood was jailed at Birmingham Crown Court yesterday (29 February) after the death of Jason Smith in Chapel Street last year.
The court heard how Isherwood punched Mr Smith following an argument on 28 May, causing him to fall into a coma from which he never recovered.
Isherwood has now been jailed for eight years for his part in the 50-year-old's death.
The court was shown CCTV footage of Isherwood and a woman walking along Chapel Street before encountering Mr Smith.
A short argument followed and Mr Smith was heard to say "I don't want to fight you" before Isherwood punched him.
After knocking Mr Smith to the ground, Isherwood was seen rifling through his pockets, stealing money and leaving the scene and leaving him for dead.
Mr Smith was found by passing motorists 45 minutes later and taken to hospital, where he was found to have sustained serious skull and brain injuries.
Despite the best efforts of medical staff, he never regained consciousness and life support was switched off on 2 June.
Isherwood was arrested a couple of days later and originally answered no comment, before submitting a written statement falsely claiming he had acted in self-defence.
Isherwood and Mr Smith were known to each other, but the exact reason behind the attack remains unknown.
In sentencing Isherwood, the judge talked about the "profound effect" Mr Smith's death had had on his family, who described him as a much-loved son, brother and friend.
He also said: "No sentence I could pass today could reflect adequately the sense of overwhelming grief Jason Smith's family will continue to suffer."