Fatal pub attack sees five people sentenced

Five people have been sentenced following the fatal assault of a father outside a pub in Wolverhampton.

Four members of the group were convicted on 26 November 2025 of the murder of 33-year-old Matthew Adams, following a sustained attack outside a West Bromwich pub after a family celebration. All four, along with a fifth defendant, were also convicted of violent disorder.

Today at Wolverhampton Crown Court, Mark Shorthouse, 54, of Church Vale, West Bromwich, John Wise, 43, from Sandwell, and Ryan Stanley, 31 of Peel Street, West Bromwich, were all jailed for life with a 15-year minimum term. A youth who cannot be named, who was 14 at the time of the offence, was detained for a minimum of seven years. Nichola Stanley, 40 from Sandwell, was sentenced to 20 months for violent disorder.

The defendants surrounded Mr Adams on 19 March 2023, repeatedly punching and kicking him before continuing the assault in the pub car park. He was left unconscious and bleeding on the ground. The group then left the scene without taking any steps to help him. Mr Adams was able to leave the scene and went home to recover but was subsequently hospitalised and died four and a half days later, leaving behind two young children.

Georgina Davies from the Crown Prosecution Service, said:

"This was a brutal and sustained group attack on a man who posed no threat. The defendants acted together, delivering a prolonged assault that ultimately cost a life.

"The Crown Prosecution Service worked closely with West Midlands Police to build a clear and compelling case, using CCTV, witness evidence and expert medical testimony to demonstrate the defendants' joint responsibility for this attack.

"Our thoughts remain with the victim's family who continue to mourn his loss. We hope today's outcome provides some measure of justice."

Building the case: piecing together what happened

The prosecution case was based on CCTV footage, eyewitness accounts and medical evidence demonstrating the nature and severity of the assault. This evidence showed how the defendants acted together to carry out the attack and continued to use violence even when Mr Adams was clearly incapacitated.

The Crown Prosecution Service presented a timeline of events showing the escalation of violence inside the pub and in the car park, and the defendants’ actions afterwards. The jury accepted that the defendants were jointly responsible for the fatal assault.