Paul Ainscough and friend Liam Slack had been out drinking together before an argument erupted over chicken wings – the row tragically led to Paul’s death
A former British Army sergeant major was killed in a pub garden row which erupted over chicken wings.
Paul Ainscough, 57, had been drinking with friend Liam Slack, 34, in Leyland, Lancashire, on June 22. By 7.30pm, both men were drunk in the beer garden of the Stag pub.
Paul had bought some chicken wings but after eating his own, Slack grabbed at Paul’s food, witnesses said. The men argued and Slack threw a rucksack, belonging to Paul, before pushing him in his chest, sending him ‘flying’.
Paul tragically died from internal injuries two days after he was pushed over. Slack has now been jailed for four years and two months after admitting manslaughter, LancsLive reports.
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Preston Crown Court heard Paul was a ‘kind and generous’ friend to Slack, and would often lend him money. One man, who saw the incident, described how Slack pushed Paul ‘clean over’. Another said Paul fell backwards, knocking the table about a foot before landing on a stone step.
As Paul got up from the floor, he told onlookers Slack ‘couldn’t hold his beer’ and said he wasn’t going to lend him any more money. “He seemed embarrassed and was making light of it,” Judge Robert Altham, sentencing, said.
As Slack left the pub he admitted pushing his friend over, saying he ‘shouldn’t have done it’. Later that evening he shared a taxi to Chorley with two women, and admitted he had pushed his friend over in a row about food. He had no idea he had inflicted deadly injuries, the court heard.
When he returned to his home in Eccleston, Paul spoke to his partner and told her about the argument, before walking his dogs at 9.20pm. The next day, Slack texted Paul apologising, but said his friend was ‘properly in my face’.
Paul disagreed. He said: “You were a right tw*t and grabbed my chicken. You attacked me and pushed me into a wooden fence, breaking my ribs. I could hardly move.”
On the Monday morning, Paul asked his partner for an ambulance as he said he was suffering abdominal pains. He had appeared fine when she saw him the previous evening and assumed he was feeling the effects of a hangover.
Around lunchtime she went to walk his dogs, leaving Paul asleep on the sofa. But when she returned, shortly before 4pm, he was unresponsive.
Emergency services rushed to the flat but Paul was pronounced dead. A post mortem confirmed he had three broken ribs and died from internal bleeding.
Slack, of Langton Brow, Chorley, learned of his friend’s death and immediately feared he was at fault. In a police interview he admitted snatching Paul’s food and throwing his rucksack. He later pleaded guilty to manslaughter.
Paul’s partner, son and daughter sat in the public gallery as the Honorary Recorder of Preston, Judge Robert Altham sentenced Slack.
The judge said: “Mr Ainscough was a kind, generous and thoughtful man who was well regarded by those who knew him. He had a proud past, having served in the Army for 24 years before joining the police. What a proud and precious life to have been taken by such a thoughtless act of violence.
“When you learned of Mr Ainscough’s death you immediately feared your actions might have been the cause and you expressed regret. Your use of alcohol is troubling.
“You knew that in drink you had a tendency to become aggressive. The fact you were drunk is an aggravating factor, as is the vulnerability of Mr Ainscough.” He said Slack showed ‘genuine and immediate remorse’ and the attack was not premeditated.
In a victim impact statement, Paul’s son Mark said: “Our Dad/Paul was our hero and the person who loved us more than anyone in the world. He was a proud granddad, he adored his grandchildren and used to love seeing them, buying them gifts and sharing stories with them about his time in the army.
“Our dad was a Regimental Sergeant Major in the British Army where he served his country for 24 years with courage and honour.”
