A man endured more than fifty separate blows during what prosecutors have described as a 'brutal' and sustained attempt to murder him in a Handsworth street, a court has been told.
Relentless Attack Captured on CCTV
Razvan Mut, aged 35 and of no fixed address, stands trial at Birmingham Crown Court, denying a charge of attempted murder. The court heard that in the early hours of April 11, 2024, on Whitehall Road in Handsworth, Mut allegedly stabbed, kicked, and repeatedly struck Stephen Watts with the metal leg of a chair.
Prosecutor Oliver Wellings, opening the case, stated that a 'compelling evidential picture' had been assembled from various pieces of CCTV and doorbell camera footage, alongside witness testimonies. This evidence painted a scene of extreme violence.
Victim Left for Dead After Sustained Assault
The victim, Stephen Watts, who is in his 60s, suffered life-threatening injuries. Paramedics and doctors discovered him unconscious at the scene and were forced to perform an emergency cardiac massage by opening his chest. Mr Watts spent a period of time in a coma following the assault but ultimately survived.
Mr Wellings told the jury that while an initial altercation occurred, the defendant's reaction was 'extreme'. 'There clearly comes a point where he is helpless on the floor... from that point the attack conducted by Mr Mut upon Mr Watts became relentless,' the prosecutor said. 'In the footage you will see him attacking Mr Watts, again and again and again.'
Witness Describes Chilling Scene
The court heard testimony from a woman who lived at the same House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) as Mr Watts on Whitehall Road. Returning home shortly after midnight, she witnessed a shirtless man, later identified as Mut, pinning someone to the ground.
When she asked if everything was alright, Mut reportedly told her everything was 'under control'. The man on the ground, whom she did not initially recognise as her fellow resident Mr Watts, told her to call the police. She subsequently observed Mut stamping, kicking, punching, and swinging a metal pole to strike the person on the floor six or seven times.
Defendant's Guilty Plea Not Accepted
Police arriving at the scene found Mut still present and appearing intoxicated, with a slash wound to his own arm. Officers seized a crack pipe and a knife, while a metal chair leg was recovered nearby.
Razvan Mut has admitted to a charge of wounding with intent. However, the prosecution has not accepted this plea, proceeding with the trial for attempted murder. Mr Wellings asserted that during the attack, a 'red mist of rage' had descended upon Mut, who 'effectively [left Mr Watts] for dead in the middle of the road.'
The victim, also known as 'Frank', has no recollection of the incident. The trial at Birmingham Crown Court continues.
