A Birmingham man died almost three years after sustaining a fractured skull in a violent street confrontation in Handsworth, a trial at Nottingham Crown Court has heard.
Leban Hussein, aged 38, suffered severe brain injuries after an altercation on the number 74 bus. Prosecutors said one man punched him unconscious, after which another delivered a forceful kick to his head while he lay on the ground.
Mr Hussein remained in hospital and care homes for nearly three years before passing away from bronchial pneumonia in July 2025. A post-mortem examination concluded that the kick to the head caused brain injuries that directly contributed to his death.
READ MORE: Dudley Council Chief Acknowledges Need to Review Borough’s Long-Term Vision
READ MORE: Over 25,000 motorists caught speeding on Birmingham’s worst road
John Guthrie, 39, of Witton Road, Aston, and Kristian Haines, 33, of Oxhill Road, Handsworth, are charged with his manslaughter. Both men deny the allegations.
Prosecutor Sally Howes KC outlined that the defendants acted together during the assault. “While it was the kick from Mr Guthrie that proved fatal, the Crown’s case is that they acted as a tag team,” she told the jury.
According to the prosecution, CCTV footage showed Mr Hussein, Guthrie, and Haines travelling on the number 74 bus on 13 September 2022, where an argument broke out between Mr Hussein and Guthrie. All parties, along with a woman accusing Guthrie of mobile phone theft, disembarked at the junction of Holyhead Road and Wattville Road.
The woman reportedly accused Guthrie of snatching her phone and demands for its return were ignored. As Guthrie attempted to leave, a bystander restrained him. Mr Hussein approached and began slapping Guthrie, who was then punched in the head once by Haines, causing him to collapse unconscious.
While Mr Hussein was incapacitated, Guthrie allegedly bent his leg backwards and delivered a powerful kick to his head before both men left the scene.
Mr Hussein was taken to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and remained in a critical state, fed via a stomach tube until December 2022. He later received care in several facilities before succumbing to bronchial pneumonia in July 2025.
Guthrie told police that Mr Hussein had slapped and kicked him, causing him to fall, but denied kicking anyone during the incident. Haines declined to comment during his police interview.
The trial is ongoing at Nottingham Crown Court.