Pal guilty of killing friend with hammer then jumping on bus out of Birmingham

A man has been found guilty of killing his friend before walking past an ambulance as he went to catch a bus and flee the city. Gary O'Neill 'smashed' Kenneth Ford with a hammer at the 30-year-old's address in Colebrook Road, Tyseley[1] in February last year, a jury at Birmingham Crown Court[2] was told. He then caught a bus to Glasgow, on his way to Belfast, but was arrested before completing the journey after a passenger overheard him talking on the phone about leaving someone in a 'bad way'.

The 32-year-old had also described Mr Ford as a 'pervert' and accused him of doing something to his girlfriend. O'Neill, of Kenilworth Road, Perry Barr[3], denied murder and following a trial he was cleared of the offence but found guilty of manslaughter. He will be sentenced on February 9.

POLL: Is the BBC licence fee good value for money?[5] O'Neill left the victim's home around 2am on February 28 last year. Prosecutor Kevin Hegarty Kc said: "As Gary O'Neill came out of the house, leaving the either dying or dead Mr Ford, by chance there was an ambulance in the street, lights flashing.

It had been called to a neighbouring house. Mr O'Neill didn't go to the ambulance and say 'you must come quickly there's a man in a bad way'. Not at all.

"Gary O'Neill made up his mind to get out of the place and made up his mind to get out of Birmingham. He walked to the bus station and bought a one-way ticket for the 182 to take him to Glasgow and then on to Belfast."

After a stop in Manchester a passenger overhead O'Neill talking about an injured man still being unconscious when he woke up that morning. The defendant had spoken to his ex-girlfriend on the phone and told her he had left Mr Ford in a 'bad way'.

He also called the victim's landlord and said he needed to get him an ambulance. "He said Kenneth Ford had done something to his girlfriend and was a pervert," Mr Hegarty added. Mr Ford's lifeless body was discovered around 5pm that day.

O'Neill and the victim were said to be 'good friends'. The day before the killing O'Neill had been released by police in relation to another issue. Friends described him as being 'heavily under the influence of drink and/or drugs'.

Throughout the day O'Neill had rambled about a PlayStation cable, wanting more medication and also said that Mr Ford had smoked his cannabis. On the night of February 27 O'Neill attacked Mr Ford at his home by jumping on him and punching him to the face. A friend who was also there pulled him away and also disarmed the defendant of a hammer which he had in his pocket.

Mr Ford 'didn't seem too alarmed' about the incident and assured he would put O'Neill to bed and things would settle down.

Their friends left the property at 11.25pm.

Some time between then and 2am the defendant had 'smashed' Mr Ford with the hammer, the prosecutor said.

References

1. ^ Tyseley (www.birminghammail.co.uk)
2. ^ Birmingham Crown Court (www.birminghammail.co.uk)
3. ^ Perry Barr (www.birminghammail.co.uk)
4. ^ Thugs feared payback at court after revenge attack on topless pal in beer garden (www.birminghammail.co.uk)
5. ^ Is the BBC licence fee good value for money? (xd.wayin.com)