Birmingham man faces jail after victim dies nearly three years post-attack

A Birmingham man is facing a custodial sentence after a street assault led to the death of his victim nearly three years later. In September 2022, Leban Hussein, aged 38, was attacked in Handsworth, suffering a fractured skull and severe brain injuries.

The incident began with an argument on the No. 74 bus and escalated when Mr Hussein was punched unconscious by Kristian Haines, 33, and then kicked in the head by John Guthrie, 39, while lying helpless on the pavement. Both men were travelling on the bus at the time and had gotten off together.

Following the assault on Wattville Road, Mr Hussein was hospitalised at Queen Elizabeth Hospital where he remained on tube feeding until December 2022. He then spent time in care homes before dying of bronchial pneumonia at Good Hope Hospital in Sutton Coldfield on 26 July 2025.

A jury at Nottingham Crown Court took three-and-a-half hours to find Guthrie guilty of manslaughter, while Haines was acquitted of the charge but faces sentencing for other offences including grievous bodily harm and an unrelated burglary.

During sentencing, Judge Stuart Rafferty KC remanded both men in custody. He acknowledged the clear evidence against Guthrie and confirmed a custodial sentence was inevitable.

Prosecutor Sally Howes KC explained that the fatal injury was caused by Guthrie’s kick following the initial punch from Haines. The attack stemmed from a dispute involving a woman who accused Guthrie of snatching her mobile phone. CCTV footage showed the men’s involvement and the sequence of events, including the woman’s accusation and the subsequent physical assault.

Guthrie denied kicking anyone, claiming Mr Hussein had slapped and kicked him first, causing him to fall. However, the jury found the evidence to support his conviction for manslaughter.

Both men are due to be sentenced on 14 September.