A 33-year-old Indian-origin man, Amarpal Atkar, died after being punched twice in the head by a stranger during an altercation outside a Birmingham bar.
The incident took place in the early hours of July 31, 2021, outside the Be At One bar on Stephenson Street.
Coleman punched Atkar, causing him to fall to the ground.
In response, Coleman punched Atkar a second time, resulting in a fatal brain injury.
"It is regrettable that Mr. Coleman decided to use such force to respond to the verbal altercation as this did result in the death of Mr. Atkar," Hunt stated.
A 33-year-old Indian-origin man, Amarpal Atkar, died after being punched twice in the head by a stranger during an altercation outside a Birmingham bar. Despite punching Atkar dead, the attacker, Thomas Coleman, was not found guilty of any offence.
The incident took place in the early hours of July 31, 2021, outside the Be At One bar on Stephenson Street. Atkar, a financial services officer from Oldbury, West Midlands, was "like a celebrity" at the bar, called Coleman 'Ed Sheeran' and a 'ginger t***' after Coleman accidentally bumped into him.
advertisement
The situation escalated as Atkar taunted Coleman and dared him to "Hit me, hit me".
Coleman punched Atkar, causing him to fall to the ground.
Bouncers briefly restrained Coleman before letting him go.
Atkar then pursued Coleman, talking on his phone and saying, "He's here, come quick".
A second confrontation occurred near Birmingham New Street station, where Atkar attempted to punch Coleman.
In response, Coleman punched Atkar a second time, resulting in a fatal brain injury.
Atkar was found unresponsive and later pronounced dead at the hospital.
Coleman fled from the scene but was later found at the Grand Hotel and arrested by police, initially on suspicion of murder, with a case later made for manslaughter.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) decided not to charge him with any offence, a decision that was upheld even after a review requested by Atkar's family.
The coroner, Louise Hunt, ruled out unlawful killing, concluding that Coleman acted in self-defence during the altercation.
"It is regrettable that Mr. Coleman decided to use such force to respond to the verbal altercation as this did result in the death of Mr. Atkar," Hunt stated.
Despite the family's feelings of being "let down by the justice system", the inquest concluded that Coleman was trying to protect himself.
Atkar's family described him as "the happiest and most sociable person one could ever meet," adding, "He was a doting son, a loving brother, and an amazing uncle. We feel lost without him in our lives; there is a void he has left that nobody can fill."
Published By: Girish Kumar Anshul Published On: Jul 2, 2024
