Murder of Leicester-born man leaves ‘massive void’ in family

The family of a Leicester-born man who was murdered in Somerset say his death has left a “massive void” in their lives.

Nick Bryan, 46, was left unconscious after being attacked by Adam Bowers, 35, on November 15, 2021, at a property in Rydal Road, Weston-super-Mare.

Mr Bryan died in hospital two days later after his sister and mother, Holly and Anne Bryan, made the decision to turn off his life support.

Bowers was jailed for a minimum of 19 years at Bristol Crown Court on Friday after pleading guilty to murdering Mr Bryan in February.

Mr Bryan grew up in Evington with his sister Holly, 46, describing him as “a very good, caring and brilliant brother”.

She said: “(Nick) didn’t have an aggressive bone in his body. He wouldn’t boo a goose.

“He loved to cook. She made delicious meals, but also made a big mess in the kitchen when she did, which I laughed at.

“It was just the three of us for a long time, our father died when we were nine and 11.

“Many of our uncles and aunts emigrated a long time ago, so since 1986 it was just the three of us, and now it’s just me and my mother.”

After attending Whitehall Primary School, Judgemeadow Community College, then WQE College in Leicester, he went to the University of Liverpool to study physiotherapy.

Mr Bryan went on to have jobs in the travel and insurance sector, including a role in cruise lines, which saw him travel the world.

Anne, 78, said Mr Bryan was also “a bit of a daredevil” who went bungee jumping and white water rafting while travelling.

She added: “He was a good runner when he was younger for Leicester Coritanians.”

Mother and daughter describe themselves as “a very tight family unit.”

Holly said: “He wasn’t just my brother, he was my best friend.”

Mr. Bryan loved Wonder Woman, with his funerals themed around the comic book character.

Holly said: “It was great. He would have liked it.

“The three of us were so tight. It’s just a huge void with him gone.”

The pair spoke about the moment they found out Mr Bryan had been attacked after being contacted by his friend Jamie Russell, who was his relative at the time.

Holly described seeing her brother in hospital as ‘horrible’, while Anne said there were tubes and blood ‘everywhere’, adding it was ‘awful’.

She described the two-and-a-half years since Mr Bryan’s death as “a rollercoaster of emotion”.

Anne added: “It hangs over your head all the time, in the back of your brain.”

Holly said: “I still buy little Wonder Woman gifts and keep them. It’s not the same. How can it be?

“I want him to be remembered for what a wonderful person he was. His hysterical laugh. It was so loud.”