A man broke down in tears and uttered a five-word apology to his victim's family as he was sentenced to prison for killing his friend during a brutal series of assaults.
Three violent attacks in thirty minutes
Andrew Behan, 41, launched three separate violent attacks on Francis Leitner within just half an hour on December 21 last year. The confrontation began at a local shop in Aston where Behan headbutted his friend and pushed him against a car.
The violence continued at the HMO where both men lived on Wyrley Road. Behan subjected Mr Leitner to repeated punches and elbows to the head during further assaults inside the property.
Fatal injuries and hospital tragedy
Police took the injured man to hospital where he soon lost consciousness. Medical examinations revealed Mr Leitner had suffered a bleed on the brain. His condition deteriorated rapidly and he was declared brainstem dead two days later.
Doctors switched off his life support on December 23, confirming the 45-year-old's death. An expert medical witness later concluded that Mr Leitner's alcoholism had made him more vulnerable to brain bleeding from such assaults.
Court sentencing and emotional response
Behan appeared via video-link from HMP Hewell in Worcestershire for his sentencing at Birmingham Crown Court on Wednesday, November 26. He pleaded guilty to manslaughter and received a sentence of six years and seven months.
Throughout the hearing, the 41-year-old was seen bowing his head and sobbing. After learning his fate, Behan directly addressed the victim's family saying: "I'm sorry to the family."
The court heard that both men, who were friends, struggled with alcohol addiction and had been drinking together for twelve hours before their fatal argument. The dispute centred on Behan's allegation that Mr Leitner had broken his television and owed him money for a mobile phone.
CCTV evidence captured all three assaults, which occurred at the local shop and within their shared living accommodation. The final attack, involving an elbow and two punches to the head, was identified as the most likely cause of the fatal injury.
Judge Andrew Smith KC, passing sentence, stated: "You were consistently angry with Mr Leitner before, during and after your fatal assault on him." He described the violence as "three distinct episodes" involving "deliberate, forceful blows to the head and face".
The judge acknowledged Behan's genuine remorse and his efforts to address his alcohol problems while in custody, where he had taken on a mentor role for other inmates. However, he emphasised that this was "a determined set of actions over a sustained period" that had tragic consequences.
