Man fled to France after 'unprovoked' one-punch attack killed Bristol pensioner

Paul Carter was left unconscious for 48-days after he was punched in the head by Gary Selwood in February 2022 in what has been described in court as an an “unprovoked” and “unjustified” attack

A man has been convicted of killing a pensioner who died two months after he was punched in an “unjustified” attack at a social club.

Gary John Selwood, 59, was found guilty of manslaughter after the fatal attack on Paul Carter, 69, at the Whichurch Folk House in Bristol. Bristol Crown Court heard Selwood punched Mr Carter in an “unprovoked” and “unjustified” attack on the evening of Sunday, February 27, 2022.

As a result of being punched, Mr Carter fell backwards and struck his head on the corner of some furniture. He was knocked unconscious and suffered a bleed to the brain. He was taken to Southmead Hospital where he sadly died on Saturday, April 16.

Selwood was arrested the day after the incident in Bedminster on suspicion of assault, before being released under investigation. He later moved to France, where he was arrested in the Aulnay area on Sunday 26 March 2024 and extradited back to the UK by specialist officers.

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The defendant was convicted by a jury today (Wednesday 25 September) following a trial at Bristol Crown Court and will be sentenced at the same court on Monday.

Following the verdict, the family of Paul Carter released a tribute to him. They said: “Our family has been devastated by our dad being killed by Gary Selwood. We’ve been tormented by the pain and suffering inflicted by Selwood from such a mindless attack. We had to endure 48 days of torment not knowing if our dad was going to regain any consciousness, before he finally passed away.

“We will never be able to come to terms with losing dad in this horrific way. Nobody deserves this. It’s been nearly two-and-a-half years waiting for the trial and only now is justice being served, our lives have felt paused waiting for Selwood’s return from France where he was extradited.

“We still have to live with the knowledge that we may never fully know or understand the reasons for Selwood’s actions. Throughout the process, we have seen no evidence of any remorse or taking responsibility for his actions that day. Instead, he tried to call our dad’s character into question, which just hurt even more.

“We have had to relive everything again after so long, and watching the video footage of the attack happen has been so painful."

The family, who were in court to hear the verdict, added: "We were relieved to hear today’s verdict of guilty, and the knowledge that justice will be served in sentencing, something that Selwood tried to avoid when he left the UK to set up a new life in France by burying his head in the sand and not owning up to his actions.

"But our loss will continue as nothing will bring back our dad. There are so many people that our family would like to thank for all their incredible hard work and support during this time: the Major Crime Investigation Team, and all the officers that have been involved in this case, as well as the prosecution’s legal team.

"We would also like to thank the emergency services and staff at Southmead Hospital who tried to help save our dad.”

Det Insp Mark Newbury, of the Major Crime Investigation Team, said: “Gary Selwood carried out a reckless assault on Paul Carter, leaving him with a catastrophic head injury from which he never recovered.

“As part of our enquiries we spoke to a number of people who were at the Folk House that night and witnessed the assault and the aftermath, including customers and members of staff, and we appreciate their help with this investigation.

“Our thoughts are very much with Paul’s family, who’ve had to endure a lengthy wait for justice, complicated by the need to extradite Selwood from France, where he moved following his initial arrest. Nothing will ever bring Paul back, but we hope this conviction will be of some comfort to them.

“We worked closely with the National Crime Agency and Interpol throughout the extradition process and we’re grateful for the expert help and support they provided the investigation team.

“This case needs to act as a warning to others who engage in needless violence – even one punch can have horrific consequences. It can cause devastation to victims and their families, but also to the person who throws the punch.”