Colin Beer

Colin Beer died after being punched in North Hill, Plymouth.

It was thought that he had been involved in an incident of road rage.

He had been out drinking at the Hyde Park pub in the Mutley district on Saturday 9 June 2001 and was seen walking along Mutley Plain, through the traffic, up to North Hill. It was thought that at some point he had become involved in an incident and a driver had got out of their car and punched him.

Colin Beer fell to the ground and suffered from a fractured skull after hitting his head. He died five days later in Derriford Hospital, Plymouth on 14 June 2001.

A 25-year-old man was charged with his murder on Thursday 27 June 2002, but no further developments are known.

Colin Beer had left the Hyde Park pub at 6pm and was seen walking in and out of traffic. A blue BMW Z3 sports car was seen to swerve to avoid him and he was then seen to brush against the side of a silver saloon, although he was not hurt and the mirror not damaged. He was then seen to make contact with a wing mirror of a blue Peugeot 406 car, either hitting it or bumping into it.

Witnesses then saw a man get out of a red Vauxhall Cavalier car at 6.15pm and hit Colin Beer. The car was said to have had an eight-inch black sticker on the offside of the boot.

The driver was described as being aged around 30 years old, of a medium build, with a thin-face, short brown hair and a goatee beard. He was said to have been wearing a white shirt and blue or black jeans.

A photofit of him was released by the police.

The police said that they were interested in speaking to any other drivers that had seen Colin Beer walking through the traffic or who had swerve to avoid him.

Colin Beer had lived in Devonport.