Published at 16:51, Wednesday, 14 November 2012

THE aunt of a man found dead after a suspected street attack says her family may never know how he died after a court cleared the man accused of his manslaughter.

MYSTERY DEATH: Paul Green was found unconscious in Penrith Street, Barrow, in May. Inset, Detective Inspector Bob Qazi

Paul Green, 44, died after he was found unconscious with serious head injuries in Penrith Street, Barrow, in May.

Andrew Logan, 43, had been due to stand trial for his manslaughter next week – but was cleared due to lack of evidence in Preston Crown Court yesterday.

Mr Green, of Adelphi Court, was the last of three brothers to die in tragic circumstances.

His brother, Barry, was stabbed to death in Barrow Park in November 1999, and their other brother, David, died from leukaemia, aged 11.

Yesterday Mr Green’s aunt, Gloria Rooney, 58, of Cheviot Hill, Barrow, said the family had been plunged into uncertainty and distress by the court’s decision.

She said: “We will probably never know what happened, which is hard. We have got to live with it.”

The news had been particularly hard for Mr Green’s father Barry, who is in his 60s and is battling pancreatic and throat cancer, she said.

She said: “Something has happened but the police just can’t get to the bottom of it.

“It is a bit mind-blowing, because we have got to live with the fact that Paul can’t come back and tell us.”

Yesterday, the Crown told the court it would not be able to continue with the prosecution due to gaps in evidence surrounding the case.

Crown prosecutor Jon Close said there was evidence Mr Logan, of Dalkeith Street, Barrow, had escorted Mr Green out of the Rams Head Hotel, in Rawlinson Street, on May 3 and had ended up “stood over” him as he lay on the ground.

However, there was no evidence Mr Logan followed him to where he was eventually found.

Witnesses living near Penrith Street reported hearing a disturbance in the street but there was no evidence Mr Logan was involved in this.

A pathologist had also said it was possible the fatal head injury had been caused by him falling when he was drunk.
Police have appealed for anyone who may have fresh evidence about Mr Green’s death to come forward.

Detective Chief Inspector Bob Qazi said: “The police believe, from the evidence and information gathered, that Mr Green did not die as the result of a random attack and would urge people in Barrow not to fear for their safety as a result of this investigation not being resolved.

“The police will take seriously any information received and, where necessary, will act upon it.”

Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk