Mum of Jack Jermy-Doyle, 26, killed on night out in Preston leaves poignant tribute at the scene

The devastated mother of a 25-year-old legal assistant, killed when he was punched to the ground on a night out, has paid a poignant tribute.

As a second man accused of Jack Jermy-Doyle's manslaughter went on trial at Preston Crown Court, just yards away from where he was injured, his family laid a beautiful floral tribute.

The card with flowers read: "Jack, thinking of you today. You are the centre of out thoughts. Justice will be served. All our love Mum and Phil xxx"

Today as the trial got underway, the public gallery was filled with Jack's family and friends.

On the night he suffered the unsurvivable injuries, the popular character had gone out with his friend Robert Jones for a drink. They began outside Preston, but as the evening went on they ended up in the city.

Sitting in court just yards from the spot where the 25-year-old was killed, the jury were urged to find that his death was a joint attack by two men who for hours that evening had been “making a nuisance of themselves in a violent and unpleasant way.”

The court heard that one man – 29-year-old Jak Fairclough – had already pleaded guilty to manslaughter by delivering a punch which knocked Jack to the floor and caused an unsurvivable head injury.

But his companion Jake Parkinson, 22, of Bow Lane, Preston has gone on trial at Preston Crown Court, denying his involvement in the incident contributed to his death.

Prosecution barrister Michael Hayton KC, told the jury that Parkinson had been seen on CCTV footage to have been the first to punch Jack, hitting him in the body, before Fairclough followed up with the fatal strike.

“Violence was carried out by both Mr Fairclough and Mr Parkinson,” he said. “(That) violence was carried out only one way – towards Mr Jermy-Doyle. The two blows were part of a joint attack on him.

“The Crown say this was a joint attack by two men on one and that violence led to Mr Jermy-Doyle’s death.”

Parkinson has pleaded not guilty to a single charge of manslaughter.

Outlining the prosecution’s case Mr Hayton said the charge had resulted from an incident on August 12, 2022 at the corner of Harris Street and Birley Street – just outside the Crown Court Sessions House – when Parkinson and Fairclough came across Jack and his friend Robert.

Jack was just two weeks short of his 26th birthday and, having been punched by Fairclough, he fell to the floor hitting his head on the pavement. He died in hospital two days later.

Mr Hayton told the jury: “To be clear Mr Fairclough and Mr Parkinson were together at the time of the violence perpetrated against Mr Jermy-Doyle. When that violence was carried out there was action by both of them.

“Mr Fairclough and this defendant (Parkinson) were not in good spirits, in the sense that when they were out during that night they were seen to be, on a number of occasions, behaving in an aggressive way towards others and amongst themselves.

“They were out that night in drink and were making a nuisance of themselves in a violent and unpleasant way, which culminated in the early hours when they came across Mr Jermy-Doyle. They came into close proximity to each other and violence was carried out by Mr Fairclough and Mr Parkinson.

“The first thing that occurred was a blow into the body of Mr Jermy-Doyle by this defendant, followed shortly after by a punch by Mr Fairclough which connected with Mr Jermy-Doyle and knocked him to the floor.

“In falling to the floor his head came into contact with the floor. Sadly his injuries were such that he was never to recover.”

He added that the two men’s actions that night had been “part of a pattern of violent behaviour that ended in death.”

The trial is expected to last at least five days.

(Proceeding)