Peter Spiers

Peter Spiers died following an altercation in Market Place, Nuneaton at about 1.05pm on Saturday 15 July 2017.

A 46-year-old man was initially arrested on suspicion of his murder but in June 2018 he was charged with causing actual bodily harm after it was determined that Peter Spiers died from a heart attack and it was submitted that the man that hit him could not be to blame for that as Peter Spiers had a heart condition and he pleaded guilty in March 2019 and was given a suspended prison sentence.

The police were first called out following reports of an altercation between two men in Harefield Road at about 1pm. The man and Peter Spiers had started fighting in an alleyway between Market Place and Newdegate Street .

During the fight Peter Spiers was heard to call the man, 'scum' and to assault him, punching him in the face and breaking his nose. It was said that after that the man followed Peter Spiers into the pedestrianised area of Newdegate Street and towards the Savers shop where they continued to argue.

It was said then that the man got in front of Peter Spiers and punched him in the face, knocking him to the ground after which Peter Spiers got up and walked off towards Harefield Road, looking at himself in shop windows on the way whilst the man went back to the alleyway to get his dog.

It was said that after that the man went back and met up with Peter Spiers outside the Sports Direct shop and that they then both sat down together and had a conversation and the man then wrote a note that he gave to Peter Spiers saying 'SRY' which he said meant sorry with his name and number so that Peter Spiers could contact him later. However, it was noted that at that point Peter Spiers collapsed and the ambulance was called.

Although paramedics attempted to revive Peter Spiers, there were unable and he was taken to George Eliot Hospital where he was put on life support, but the life support was later switched off after it was determined that he was going to die anyway.

His post mortem was initially inconclusive but it was later determined that he died from a heart attack and that he had a heart condition and that another coronary was inevitable and that the man that had hit him could not have been responsible for that.

The 46-year-old man was initially arrested on suspicion of assault but was later arrested on suspicion of murder after Peter Spiers died. He was later released on bail until August 2017 and in June 2018 he was charged with causing actual bodily harm and in March 2019 the man pleaded guilty to assault and causing actual bodily harm and was given a five month prison sentence suspended for twelve months.

The police said that Peter Spiers and the man that was arrested both knew each other.

Peter Spiers was retired and had lived at home with his mother in Stoneleigh Court, Nuneaton.