Matthew Griggs, 38, was assaulted in two separate incidents four days before his girlfriend found him unresponsive in an area of woodland in Sprowston, where they had been living in a tent.

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

He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Norwich Crown Court (Image: Peter Walsh, Newsquest)

Norwich Crown Court - where three men are on trial accused of his manslaughter - has been told the violence was prompted by their anger at Mr Griggs, who they believed had inadvertently brought attention on them after they stole from the BP service station on Plumstead Road.

The BP service station on Plumstead Road, Norwich (Image: Newsquest)

Mr Griggs had not previously known the group but his girlfriend knew one of them, John  McDonnell, and the couple, who were homeless, had ended up staying at a property on Ketts Hill - where Jonathan Bristow lived - the night before the attacks.

Matthew Griggs (Image: Norfolk Constabulary)

Early the following morning, Bristow, McDonnell, Daniel Carroll and Andrew Gough - who is now deceased - and went to the nearby garage and stole alcohol before returning to the address.

The BP service station on Plumstead Road, Norwich (Image: Newsquest)

Mr Griggs' girlfriend had also left the property and he was waiting outside for her.

With police already called about the garage thefts, the group believed Mr Griggs' presence on the street risked drawing attention to the address.

Ketts Hill, Norwich (Image: Peter Walsh, Newsquest)

Will Carter, prosecuting, said they thought he had "been an idiot" for standing outside while police officers were about and had attacked him inside and outside the Ketts Hill property before a later attack on Prince of Wales Road, with both incidents resulting in his fatal injuries.

Prince of Wales Road in Norwich (Image: Newsquest)

Gough, 47, had also been involved and would have also been on trial had he not died.

Mr Griggs was pronounced dead in an area of woodland off Church Lane, Sprowston, on September 23, 2023.

Church Lane, Sprowston (Image: Newsquest)

On September 18, Mr Griggs and his girlfriend, who had been in a relationship for several years, had arrived at Norwich's bus station from Great Yarmouth.

Norwich Bus Station (Image: Newsquest)

By chance, they bumped in to McDonnell, who the girlfriend knew, and went with him to Bristow's house, where they stayed with others that night smoking drugs and drinking.

The first attack was at the Ketts Hill address at about 7.40am, the following morning, after the group had returned from the garage theft.

Mr Carter told the court Mr Griggs' partner said when she got back to the house she could see he was "obviously scared" but went outside with the others.

Mr Carter said she was "right to be concerned" and found him "lying on the ground outside".

Mr Griggs had been told to leave by Bristow who had told him to "get out of my house".

He told Mr Griggs to leave, saying: "I will f****ng kill you."

Bristow and two others went out of the house before Mr Griggs was struck by another man, with no shirt on. 

Mr Griggs fell "into or near the road" in the Ketts Hill area.

Mr Carter said not one of them stayed to see if Mr Griggs was alright.

A passer-by who had seen some of what happened, went to Mr Griggs - who was unconscious - to try and help him.

The bystander called police and the ambulance service to say a man had been attacked.

Mr Griggs was now conscious and bleeding but refused medical treatment. 

A few minutes later, Mr Griggs and his partner headed towards the city and were on Prince of Wales Road where he was again attacked, at about 8.30am.

He was confronted by Gough who got him "in a bear hug" close to the bottom of Prince of Wales Road.

The rest of the group had been stealing alcohol and chocolate from other stores, including at Bishop Bridge Stores and the One Stop Shop on Prince of Wales Road.

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

Mr Carter said that following the attacks, Mr Griggs can be seen on on various CCTV cameras "clutching his left hand side".

He continued to have "difficulty breathing" and "although he didn't know it was bleeding internally".

By September 22 his pain had become "unbearable".

The following day Mr Griggs' partner woke to find him "cold, unconscious and unresponsive".

The prosecutor said Mr Griggs had suffered "blunt force trauma to his chest wall".

Three of Mr Griggs' ribs were fractured and he had a "substantial build up of blood in his chest cavity.

Mr Carter said each of the defendants were "party to threats made to Mr Griggs and to unlawful violence committed against him which led to his death."

He told jurors: "The prosecution say these three men unlawfully killed Matthew Griggs and are therefore guilty of the manslaughter of Matthew Griggs."

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

© Norwich Evening News