Man jailed for six years following death of 'genuinely kind' Stoke-on-Trent man
A man has been jailed for six years for manslaughter over the death of a man following a serious assault in Hanley in 2021.
Benjamin Grosvenor was 28 years old when he was assaulted on Trinity Street in the early hours of Sunday 28 November 2021.
He sustained significant head injuries in the attack and sadly died in hospital on 26 November last year.
Benjamin Wallbanks, aged 41, from Fenton, was convicted of manslaughter at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court after pleading guilty to the charge in September this year.
He was sentenced to six years in prison, with three years on extended licence, at the same court today (Friday 15 November). He was also given a six-month concurrent sentence for an assault occasioning actual bodily harm of another man.
Prior to the attack, the victim had been on a night out with his brother and sister and was walking to get some food, when he became involved in an altercation.
Wallbanks joined the altercation and punched Benjamin Grosvenor once to the head, knocking him unconscious. The victim sustained a bleed on the brain as a result of the assault.
Wallbanks and Grosvenor did not know each other.
In a tribute to Ben, his family said: "Our hearts are, and always will be, broken. Ben was our beloved son, brother, uncle, and nephew. He was the most kind, most caring and loving person you could ever meet. He would help anyone without question, he would make you laugh with his humour, he would make you smile easily, and he loved his family deeply.
"He truly was the most genuinely kind soul, and we are utterly devastated at his loss. He was one of life's good guys and he didn't deserve to have his life so cruelly taken away from him. Ben suffered for two long years in a coma before losing his life. He didn't deserve to suffer in this way, and nothing will ever alleviate the pain we feel from losing our Ben.
"There is a huge hole in our hearts with him gone and we will never get over losing him. We miss and will continue to miss him every single day. We have waited three years to get some kind of justice for Ben. Now that the investigation is over, we can now focus on grieving as a family."
Detective Inspector, Adrian Webb, said: "Benjamin and his family have suffered immeasurably since November 2021 and I offer them my heartfelt condolences. A single punch, wielded by Wallbanks has had devastating and fatal consequences.
"I hope that Wallbanks' conviction and prison sentence bring some closure to friends and family of Benjamin as they continue to come to terms with their tragic loss."
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READ MORE: Teenager charged with firearm and drug offences following search in Stoke-on-Trent
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