BREAKING NEWS: Man found guilty in murder trial

The jury in the Tristram Wallace murder trial have returned a guilty verdict against one of the group accused of killing him.

Neil Potter,36, was found guilty of murder in a unanimous verdict after more than three full days of deliberations.

The bricklayer claimed he was acting in self defence when he punched, kicked and stamped on Mr Wallace at the junction of Arden Street and Birmingham Road on June 22 last year.

However the eight men and four women on the jury rejected his account.

Following their verdict against Potter, Mr Justice Timothy Holroyde gave them a majority direction on the murder charge faced by Potter's co-defendants.

Toney Jelf, aged 39, Peter Mallon, aged 41, and Donna Windsor, 37, all from the Stratford area.

All three have admitted Mr Wallace's manslaughter but deny committing murder on June 22 last year.

During the trial Birmingham Crown Court heard the group launched a savage attack on Mr Wallace in the mistaken belief he had sold them curry powder and sugar instead of drugs.

Prosecutor James Curtis QC described the attack as a "punishment beating" against an innocent man.

At the opening of the trial he said; "It was in effect a punishment beating fuelled by drink and drugs in which an innocent man was punched, kicked and stamped in a ferocious, joint attack by these four defendants in full view of many members of the public.

"He was heard by the public to be crying out for help. 'Just for pity's sake help', but these defendants continued mercilessly and they killed him."

A string of eyewitnesses described seeing bricklayer Potter confront Mr Wallace on Arden Street.

But violence quickly erupted and Mr Wallace ended up on the ground on a pedestrian crossing where Jelf and Mallon joined in the attack.

After briefly escaping and staggering across Birmingham Road, Mr Wallace was pursued by his killers, described as like a 'pack of wolves', before he was attacked again.

As he lay on a driveway pleading for help, some of the gang allegedly looted Mr Wallace's body searching his pockets, underpants and even his socks.

The stricken victim pleaded for help and died of a cardiac arrest a short time later.

In total it was estimated the group landed at least 30 blows on Mr Wallace leaving him with a broken nose and numerous cuts and bruises.

The jury's deliberations continue.