‘Doting son’, 33, died of a fatal brain injury after being punched in the head by a man he labelled ‘Ed Sheeran’ following a row as his family say outside inquest they have been ‘let down by the justice system’ after the man who hit him was not charged

A ‘doting son and loving brother’ died of a fatal brain injury after being punched in the head by a man he labelled ‘Ed Sheeran’ during a row outside a Birmingham bar, an inquest heard.

Amarpal Atkar, 33, died after trouble flared over comments made in the smoking area of Be At One, on Stephenson Street, in which he referred to a man who had accidentally backed into him as ‘Ed Sheeran’ and a ‘ginger t***’.

Mr Aktar, who was ‘like a celebrity’ at the venue as ‘everybody knew him’, was punched twice to the head, the second of which caused the fatal brain injury.

The incident began when Thomas Coleman, a stranger on his first night out in the city, accidentally backed into Mr Atkar outside the club at around 1:20am on 31 July 2021.

Witnesses then heard Mr Atkar call Mr Coleman a ‘ginger t***’ and ‘Ed Sheeran’ before saying: ‘Hit me, hit me.’

Mr Coleman responded by punching Mr Atkar in the face which made him to fall to the ground. Mr Atkar got back to his feet as bouncers restrained Mr Coleman, taking his wallet and hotel key before letting him go.

As he walked away, Mr Atkar ‘pursued’ him and was heard on the phone saying ‘he’s here, come quick’, the court heard. As a struggle ensued between the pair near Birmingham New Street station, he swung to punch Mr Coleman.

Mr Atkar, a financial services officer from Oldbury, West Midlands, was then punched in the face a second time in a blow that proved fatal. He was found unresponsive near the entrance to the railway station on Stephenson Street and was rushed to hospital. Nothing could be done to save him and he was confirmed dead the same day.

Mr Coleman, who ran from the scene, was found at the Grand Hotel and arrested by police, initially on suspicion of murder, with a case later made for manslaughter. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has, on two occasions, made the decision not to charge Mr Coleman with any offence, the court was told.

After the initial decision, Mr Atkar’s family lodged a Victims’ Right to Review, however Birmingham Coroner’s Court heard no charges would be brought, with family feeling ‘let down by the justice system’. As the inquest concluded, it was ruled Mr Atkar died from a traumatic brain injury caused from the second punch to the head during the altercation.

Ruling out unlawful killing and recording a narrative conclusion, senior coroner Louise Hunt told the court: ‘I accept Mr Coleman’s evidence when he said he was trying to protect himself at the time and the punch was in self-defence.

Mrs Hunt added: ‘It is regrettable that Mr Coleman decided to use such force to respond to the verbal altercation as this did result in the death of Mr Atkar.’