Man Pleads Guilty After Fatal Punch That Killed Local Man
Carl Stuart Woolley, 33, with no fixed address, admitted manslaughter at Bournemouth Crown Court on Tuesday 22 December 2020. He faces sentencing on Friday 29 January 2021.
One Punch Sends Man to His Death
The tragic incident unfolded around 10pm on Sunday 13 September 2020. Police were called to The Avenue car park, near Avenue Road and Norwich Avenue, after an assault was reported. Officers found 59-year-old Stephen Jeffries with a critical head injury.
Mr Jeffries had been involved in a heated verbal clash with a group near the Flirt Café in The Triangle. After walking away along Avenue Road, Woolley, part of the group, chased him down and delivered a single punch that knocked him to the ground.
Confession Hours Later
After the attack, a police cordon was set up to investigate the scene. At 6.10am the next morning, Woolley turned up at the scene and admitted responsibility for the assault. He was arrested for causing grievous bodily harm.
Victim Dies, Suspect Charged with Murder
Sadly, Stephen Jeffries died in hospital on the evening of Tuesday 15 September. His grieving family received support from specially trained officers. Woolley was charged with murder but later pleaded guilty to manslaughter.
The Crown Prosecution Service accepted the manslaughter plea, dropping the murder charge.
Police Condemn Violence, Promise Justice
“Carl Woolley admitted assaulting Mr Jeffries from the outset of this investigation and his guilty plea reflects this,” said Detective Inspector Wayne Seymour of Dorset Police’s Major Crime Investigation Team.
“This was a tragic incident where just one punch sadly led to the death of Mr Jeffries. Violence of this nature will not be tolerated in Dorset and we will always carry out a full and thorough investigation to ensure the culprits are brought to justice.
“My thoughts remain with the friends and family of Stephen Jeffries for their very sad loss.”
