A TOWN centre reveller who is alleged to have fatally stamped on an unconscious spice user’s head delivered a blow so severe the victim’s face was left with a footprint mark, the jury in a murder trial was told this week.
Dawid Szubert, of Park Lane, Barnsley, was found on June 17 at about 3pm on a pathway at the side of Mandela Gardens, near The Civic.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said his alleged attacker, 27-year-old Ricky Ramsden, of Dodworth Road, had been picked up on CCTV drinking in The Garrison, a nearby pub.
Dafydd Enoch QC, prosecuting, said: “The CCTV is of a good quality and it shows Ramsden and his friends drinking there, playing pool.
“Mandela Gardens has a grassed area, trees and benches - it’s a classic town centre greenspace where many people frequent and on the day of the incident it had several groups there.
“Dawid Szubert was sat on the ground near one of those benches. There were cans of beer and a group closest to him, who were minding their own business, presumed he was drunk. He had actually smoked spice, a terrible drug which leaves its users in a zombie-like state.
“The CCTV shows Ramsden looking towards Hanson Street before leaving The Garrison, having seen enough to go out and investigate.
“He’s seen walking, making a beeline for Dawid, and he’s heard expressing his disgust at the state he was in. The group of onlookers close by saw Ramsden lift his foot and stamp on his head.”
The Polish national, who was 38, was pronounced dead at the scene at about 3.40pm but his identity remained a mystery for days until his landlord came forward following a media appeal.
A post-mortem examination, carried out by Dr Charles Wilson, revealed he died from a head injury as a result of the stamp, which caused a severe bleed on the base of the brain and triggered a cardiac arrest.
“Ramsden was heard saying things like ‘dirty smackhead’ and ‘spicehead’ when he was near Dawid,” Mr Enoch added. “His victim was left with a footprint mark on the right-hand side of his face, showing the power of the forceful stamp. Such bleeds are caused by heavy blows which force the violent movement of the brain inside the skull. The brain swelled rapidly and Mr Szubert went into cardiac arrest.
“The defendant had been at various drinking establishments beforehand but CCTV shows him walking perfectly, showing no signs of being unduly under the influence.
“Why would he go out and stamp on someone’s head? When police arrived he was nervous and panicky and he left The Garrison but left behind a pool cue he had brought with him.
“It was a pub landlord who identified him on CCTV footage. When he was arrested he admitted he saw Mr Szubert but said he ‘never touched him’. In three interviews he repeated these lies despite knowing he had carried out a dreadful act in violent anger.”
Yesterday the jury was told Ramsden was overheard by The Garrison’s bar staff saying he had ‘gone out and kicked a spicehead’ - a claim that was laughed off by the group he was with.
Friend Lyndon Lee, who had been drinking with Ramsden, told the court: “I had been out with Ricky on the Saturday and I received a call from him at about 1pm on Sunday saying the group was at The Garrison, so I decided to join them.
“The police arrived soon after and taped the area off but when I got there members of the group said ‘listen to this’ and Ricky said he had ‘booted’ someone in the head. No-one took him seriously as he was known as a ‘Tommy Topper’ (someone who extended the truth). Police officers were there but we still didn’t think he was capable of that and laughed it off.
“We discovered someone had been killed and Ricky just vanished.”
At a plea hearing in September, Ramsden denied murder but admitted manslaughter, although the CPS did not accept his plea and the murder trial began at Sheffield Crown Court on Monday. The trial continues.
