A man has appeared in court charged with the murder of a village pub owner who died after being punched outside a cocktail bar in Lichfield over the Bank Holiday weekend.
Billy Allison, 36, of Solihull, appeared before Judge Avik Mukherjee at Lichfield Crown Court on Thursday morning for an eight-minute hearing, speaking only to confirm his name. He is charged with murder and grievous bodily harm with intent following an incident outside the Ricco and Loren bar in the Staffordshire cathedral city at 11.25pm on Sunday.
Police were called after reports that two men had been punched outside the venue. One of them, Matthew O’Gara, sustained serious injuries and was taken to hospital, where he died on Tuesday. The second victim, Adam Cooper, was also hospitalised but has since been discharged.
Allison, who stood with his hands clasped in front of him throughout the brief hearing, was remanded into custody. A trial date was set for 26 October, with proceedings expected to last two weeks. Judge Mukherjee told the defendant he would next appear in court on 1 September and was expected to attend every day of his trial. “You have an obligation to come. You are expected to be here every day for your trial,” the judge said. Allison nodded before being taken back to the cells.
Mr O’Gara was a director of The Plough pub in Huddlesford, a village just outside Lichfield. Following his death, the pub announced on its Facebook page that it would be closing temporarily “to give our staff and the family involved the time, privacy, and respect they need.” The post drew an outpouring of condolences from across the hospitality industry.
Lichfield Rugby Club also paid tribute to Mr O’Gara, describing him as part of their rugby family and a “very generous and valued sponsor.” The club said in a statement: “It is with regret and deep sadness that we share the tragic news of the death of one of our rugby family.”
