A 27-year-old man has been locked up for 13 years after killing Kirk Marsden in...

Published: 10:22 am March 7, 2026
Updated: 10:22 am March 7, 2026

A 27-year-old man has been locked up for 13 years after killing Kirk Marsden in a brutal Christmas Day attack in Blackburn.

Violent Christmas Clash at The Gate Street Bar

Just after 4.30pm on Christmas Day 2024, Kirk Marsden, 37, was at The Gate Street Bar and Grill when he got into a fight with a group, including James Ward. During the scuffle, one of Ward’s mates suffered a busted lip and a knocked-out tooth.

Ward and his crew then stormed out, jumping into a Toyota Land Cruiser parked nearby on Moorgate Street. Ward first took the front passenger seat, with an associate behind the wheel.

Hit and Run Horror

When Kirk stepped outside, the Land Cruiser was deliberately driven at him. Miraculously, Kirk dodged the first charge. But Ward quickly switched to the driver’s seat, reversed towards Kirk and struck him with the 4×4. The vehicle then reversed back over the injured man.

Cooling off briefly to let an associate get back inside, Ward then drove to a car park on Brindle Street. Later, the pair returned in a different 4×4, stopped beside Kirk for six seconds, then sped off into the night.

Kirk Dies from Catastrophic Injuries

Kirk suffered catastrophic internal injuries and tragically died the next day on Boxing Day.

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