Man guilty of murder during drugs row outside home

A "dangerous individual" who kicked a man in the face, causing him to to hit his head on concrete, has been convicted of murder in a row over drug-taking outside his home.

Nigel Mazs was with friends at a communal stairwell in a block of flats at Malakoff Close, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, on 22 December when Martin Montgomery "took exception" at what they were doing and shouted at Mr Mazs to leave, police said.

He kicked the 59-year-old as he bent to pick something up, with the subsequent fall causing a brain haemorrhage. He died in hospital on 4 January.

Montgomery, 31, had previously admitted manslaughter and denied murder and was convicted by a jury following a nine-day trial at Norwich Crown Court.

Mr Mazs lost consciousness and was bleeding heavily from facial injuries after the attack, police said.

He was able to make his way to Regent Road with the help of friends, but his condition worsened and emergency services were called just after midday, about an hour after the incident.

He was taken to the James Paget University Hospital in Gorleston, then transferred to Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge by helicopter and placed in an induced coma. He never regained consciousness.

Montgomery was in the process of trying to burn his clothes from earlier in the day on a barbecue when he arrested in a friend's garden at 20:30 GMT on the day of the attack, police said.

His only response to officers was "fair enough”, police said.

Det Insp Alix Wright who led the investigation said: “This was an unprovoked assault and the way that Montgomery showed no concern for his victim, a man he did not know, and continued to taunt and threaten him even after he had suffered such a catastrophic injury, shows he is a dangerous individual who should be off the streets.”

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