A man has today been jailed for life with a minimum term of 20 years for the murder of Swindon grandfather Martin Brown.
Paul Warren, of Victoria Road, Old Town, appeared in Bristol Crown Court today (Thursday).
On 27 January 2022, the 25-year-old violently attacked 54-year-old Martin as he was walking home in the Beechcroft Road area.
Martin was left in the street with severe injuries. It was several hours later that an off-duty paramedic spotted Martin on his way to work and took him in his own vehicle to hospital. Sadly, Martin never recovered and died 11 days later.
Warren was initially charged with robbery which he pleaded guilty to at an earlier hearing. Earlier this month, he appeared in court again charged with murder and entered another guilty plea.
Today, the judge handed him a life sentence with a minimum term of 20 years. He was also sentenced to a minimum term of four years for robbery, which will run concurrently.
In a personal impact statement provided to the court, Martin’s sister Gail said her family will never be the same following the horrific events that unfolded last year.
“What happened on the night my brother was attacked will change many people’s lives forever, and I cannot bear the thought of this happening to anyone else,” she said.
“Martin was a good man, very popular with lots of friends and always the joker. He was proud of his children and loved his grandchildren, often sending me pictures of them. He had lots to live for, but he was taken from us too soon.
“The thought of Martin being attacked and lying out on the cold all night is unbearable. He really didn’t deserve this to happen to him.
“What happened to Martin has made me more nervous of my surroundings when I am out and who is around, because Martin was just walking along that day, minding his own business.
“His memory will live on with his family and children.”
In a tribute to her dad, Martin’s daughter Natalie said: “The way in which my dad died was inhumane in every way to say the least. He was a man who was selfless and had love for every being on earth. He was a man of many talents – he served in the police force and the army, he even took the time to learn the trades of plumbing and electrics, he always wanted to give back to the world and sadly he was repaid in such a catastrophic way.
“He had the best sense of humour, and his smile would light up a room. He was a lover of laughter and wanted to spread happiness to those around him.
“He was a father to Cameron, Janine, Terry and myself, grandfather to Sierra, Hailie and Aaron, brother to Gail and son of Stephanie and Terry. Words can’t describe the hole this has left in all of our hearts and he will forever be remembered for his kind nature. He is deeply missed by everyone who knew and adored him.”
Det Chief Insp Phil Walker said: “Martin had missed the last bus home after doing a grocery shop at a local supermarket so he decided to walk to his home address in Queensfield. Tragically, he was targeted by Warren who launched a violent and sustained attack on him, repeatedly punching him to the head until he handed over his wallet and provided the PIN number to his bank card.
“Martin was left seriously injured – we believe he attempted to continue on his journey home, but collapsed in the street due to the severity of his injuries. He was later found and taken to hospital where he tragically died a few days later.
“Officers continued with their enquiries and were able to piece together Martin’s final movements and through CCTV enquiries were able to identify Warren as the man behind the attack – he was arrested initially on suspicion of robbery, before a charge of murder was authorised after Martin sadly died as a result of his injuries.
“This was a completely random attack and Warren’s actions were totally cowardly – he has devastated a family and all of those who knew Martin.
“Violence of this severity will not be tolerated and we are committed to reducing violent incidents within our county and creating safer public spaces so people do not feel fearful when out and about in Wiltshire.
“Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to Martin’s family who have had their world turned upside down by Warren’s actions. Despite this, they have acted with dignity throughout this ordeal. Martin was a father and had grandchildren who he had not yet met but had plans in place to do so. Sadly, these young children will never meet their grandfather as a result of Warren’s abhorrent actions. My thoughts are with Martin’s family at what continues to be an incredibly difficult time.”
