Man killed friend with punches to the head after finding out he had trashed their hotel room, jury hears

A man allegedly punched his friend resulting in his death after returning to their hotel to find he had ‘trashed’ their room, a trial has heard. Liam O’Brien, 37, is charged with a single offence of manslaughter after Craig Fitzpatrick, 33, died following an assault in Heywood.

Jurors at Minshull Street Crown Court were told that Mr O’Brien, of Liverpool, had booked into a two-day training session on installing flooring, which ran from January 13 to January 14 this year. He had arranged to stay over at the Village Hotel in Bury, and his friend, Mr Fitzpatrick had driven him over there on the evening of January 12, prosecutor Robert Dudley said.

During the night, Mr Fitzpatrick was seen going down to reception, with both men leaving the hotel at 2.30am and returning at 4.30am, the prosecutor said. The next morning Mr Fitzpatrick dropped Mr O’Brien off for the course where he stayed all day until he got a lift back at around 4.15pm, the court heard.

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Mr Fitzpatrick went back to the hotel and later complained about his hotel room key not working, it was said. Staff issued him with a new hotel room key and during the day he had a conversation with a friend about allegedly having the hallucinogenic drug DMT and allegedly having half a bottle of gin in his room. At 2.20pm he went back to reception and appeared ‘intoxicated’ and reception cut another hotel room key for him, the prosecutor said.

At 3pm staff responded to reports from hotel maintenance and went to the second floor where they saw that Mr Fitzpatrick was in the corridor, allegedly shirtless and 'swaying around' with a fire extinguisher in each hand, it was said.

He was led