He has been giving evidence at the trial of three men accused of the manslaughter of Matthew Griggs, a homeless man who died on September 23, 2023.

Church Lane, Sprowston (Image: Peter Walsh, Newsquest)

Jonathan Bristow, 46, Daniel Carroll, 29, and John McDonnell, 44, are all accused of attacking him four days earlier, after getting angry with him because they thought he had drawn attention to their shoplifting activities.

Norwich Crown Court (Image: Peter Walsh, Newsquest)

Martin Wakenell told Norwich Crown Court that he saw Mr Griggs being beaten behind the Compleat Angler pub on Recorder Road, just off Prince of Wales Road, on the morning of September 19.

Recorder Road in Norwich and Compleat Angler pub (Image: Peter Walsh, Newsquest)

Mr Wakenell said he saw Mr Griggs on the floor being held in a headlock by another man "for about five minutes" and described him as "struggling for air".

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The witness said there seemed to have been around six people - including at least one woman, Mr Griggs' partner Sharleen Dowd - in the group which was standing around the scene in the Prince of Wales Road area.

Prince of Wales Road, Norwich (Image: Peter Walsh, Newsquest)

After taking his son to school, Mr Wakenall said he returned to find the men "still fighting" but this time on the other side of the road.

He told the men: "If you're going to fight go and do it somewhere else."

The witness then became aware of another man who almost bumped into the pram he was pushing.

Mr Wakenall told his wife to take his son away so they were safe before taking out his phone to call police.

One of the men noticed what Mr Wakenall was doing and told him: "I'm going to find out where you f*****g live."

One Stop Shop on Prince of Wales Road (Image: Peter Walsh, Newsquest)

He saw the men coming out of the One Stop with "bars of Toblerone chocolate" before going down an alleyway beside the store and Premier Inn hotel.

The alleyway near to the Premier Inn on Prince of Wales Road (Image: Peter Walsh, Newsquest)

He said the woman had said "that's my f*****g boyfriend who got assaulted".

Prosecutors say Mr Griggs had been assaulted by the same group a short while earlier on Ketts Hill.

Ketts Hill (Image: Peter Walsh, Newsquest)

They say he was attacked because the group were angry at him for standing outside a property on the street where they had been staying.

The group feared his presence might alert police who were on the lookout for them after they had shoplifted from a nearby store.

Church Lane, Sprowston (Image: Peter Walsh, Newsquest)

Prosecutors say his death, on woodland near Church Lane, Sprowston, was a direct result of the attacks.

Bristow, latterly of Trafalgar Street, Norwich, Carroll, of no fixed address, and McDonnell, of Recorder Road, Norwich, have all denied the charges.

The court has heard that a fourth man, Andrew Gough, formerly of Bussey Road, Old Catton, had also been involved and would have also been on trial had he not since died, aged 47.

© Eastern Daily Press