Tributes paid to the Wirral man who died after being assaulted in a Wirral pub

Feb 24 2012 by Helen Hunt, Liverpool Echo

A MAN died after being struck with a single punch, after he was challenged for spitting on a pub floor.

Kenneth Wylde, 32, suffered a head injury after the assault at the Wine Lodge at Charing Cross, Birkenhead.

An inquest into his death opened in Wirral yesterday.

Coroner Christopher Johnson heard that Mr Wylde had been drinking in The Wine Lodge on the night of February 10.

Standing next to him at the bar were two men, John Burns and Tony Clark.

Coroner’s officer Donald Johnston said: “Mr Burns saw the deceased spit on the floor of the pub and made some comment similar to ‘would you do that in your own home’ and ‘have some respect for the people who have to clean it up’.

“The deceased had reportedly been unhappy with that and offered to fight Mr Burns.

“The offer was accepted and Mr Burns started to leave the pub to go outside. Mr Burns pushed the fire exit door open, and, as he did so, Mr Wylde is alleged to have said ‘I will ****ing stab you’.”

It is then alleged that Mr Burns punched Mr Wylde “once in the face”.

Mr Wylde was knocked unconscious and fell to the floor, banging his head as he landed.

An ambulance was called and Mr Wylde was taken for treatment at Walton Centre for Neurosurgery in Liverpool where he died seven days later.

A post mortem conducted by Paul Johnson concluded that he had died as a result of a blunt force head injury.