A man has been convicted of beating a carer to death inside his Wolverhampton flat after claiming he made a pass at him at a party.
Concerned neighbours alerted the police after they heard alarming banging coming from the inside of an apartment in Merridale.
When the police arrived, Vitalie Tanga prevented them from entering for seven minutes and attempted to leave the scene. The officers found Alfred Mattox, 56, and another friend lying unconscious on the floor.
Mr Mattox was taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries following the attack on May 10, 2021, but died a fortnight later. A post-mortem found he had sustained multiple facial fractures, a brain injury and multiple organ failure likely caused by either being kicked or heavily punched with a weapon.
Tanga’s second victim fortunately made a full recovery. Tanga was arrested and his bloodstained clothes and shoes seized.
During interview he denied assaulting the two men and made homophobic comments in relation to Mr Mattox. Police said Tanga had attacked the carer in his own home after claiming Mattox made a pass at him during a party.
However, the jury found him guilty of murdering the 57-year-old and guilty of assaulting Mr Astraskevicius occasioning him actual bodily harm on Friday morning.
