Man ordered to stay in hospital indefinitely after ‘brutal’ murder in Birmingham | News

Matthew Lynch suffered serious head injuries after being attacked in July 2023

A man has been given an indefinite hospital order for the ‘brutal murder’ of another man in Birmingham.

Matthew Lynch, 43, died after being found with serious head injuries in the garden of an address on Ashwin Road on July 11, 2023.

West Midlands Police arrested 33-year-old Kyle Doughty at the scene under the Mental Health Act.

Forensic investigators found a blood-stained knife in a black garden waste bag, as well as Doughty’s blood-stained clothes.

Doughty pleaded guilty to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility and was sentenced to an indefinite hospital order at Birmingham Crown Court on Friday.

Paying tribute to Matthew Lynch, his family said:

“A large 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 the Solicitor and the Judge for the compassion with which they handled 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.”