Man jailed indefinitely for ‘brutal’ Handsworth murder

A man has been sentenced to an indefinite hospital order for the “brutal” killing of a man in Handsworth. Matthew Lynch, 43, was found dead at a property on Ashwin Road, Handsworth, at 2.30pm on Tuesday 11 July 2023.

West Midlands Police said Mr Lynch was found with serious head injuries in the garden of an address on Ashwin Road. Tragically, nothing could be done to save him.

Kyle Doughty, 33, was arrested at the scene and therefore detained under the Mental Health Act. The force confirmed that Doughty was sentenced to an indefinite hospital order at Birmingham Crown Court on July 19.

READ MORE: Handsworth murder suspect sectioned under the Mental Health Act

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He pleaded guilty to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility at an earlier hearing. Following the sentencing, police told how forensic investigators recovered a blood-stained knife from a black garden bin bag and blood-stained clothing belonging to Doughty.

Paying tribute, Matthew Lynch’s family said: “A big part of our hearts has been taken and will never be replaced. Matthew was loved by his family and friends and touched the hearts of all who knew him.

“He will be greatly missed and although we will never be able to speak to him again, he will never be forgotten. We find solace in today’s sentence and now hope as a family to begin to heal and move forward.

“We would like to thank both counsel and the judge for their compassionate handling of this case, as well as those who were initially on the scene. We just hope no family has to go through what we’ve been through this past year.”

Detective Inspector Nick Barnes from West Midlands Police’s homicide unit said: “Our thoughts remain with Matthew’s family who unfortunately, despite Doughty’s plea, still have no real explanation for what happened.

“CCTV footage shows Doughty and Matthew having a minor altercation in the garden moments before his death, but ultimately we may never know why Matthew was killed that day.

“However, I am pleased that Doughty has admitted his horrific crime which has spared Matthew’s loved ones from facing a trial.”