A man who passed away days after being injured in an assault at a chip shop has been named locally as 54-year-old Carl Ennis.
Carl was attacked inside The Village Chippy, off Leach Croft in Stockbridge Village at approximately 7.30pm on Friday April 17. Carl, known as “Scully”, sustained a serious head injury during the attack but received assistance from takeaway staff before departing the premises with his bag of food.
The ambulance service alerted police to the incident the next day after Carl was admitted to hospital. Merseyside Police confirmed Carl’s death on Tuesday, with the investigation into the assault now escalated to a murder inquiry. A 25 year old man from Stockbridge Village, arrested on suspicion of section 18 wounding with intent, remains on conditional bail.
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The ECHO understands Carl is a father and has relatives in the Boode Croft and Woodfarm Hey area of Stockbridge Village. After his death, loved ones paid tribute to his “kind and caring nature” and “love of wildlife”.
Jackie Jones posted on Facebook: “We shared so many happy and adventurous times growing up. You were one of the truest people I ever had the privilege to be around. You will be sadly missed. Forever in all our hearts. We will see you on the other side”, reports the Liverpool Echo.
Shirley Jones commented: “Carl was a lovely fella. Thoughts are with his family now.” Toni May Edwards wrote: “So very saddened to hear this sad news. Thinking of you all. Sending all my love.” Residents in Stockbridge Village who spoke to the ECHO on Wednesday morning described Carl as a “familiar face” and a “nice lad”. Locals said Carl would “always say hello” to anyone he passed in the street and was a “smiley face” in the area.
“It’s so sad what happened,” one resident, who wished to remain anonymous, said. “I only knew of him, really, but he’d always shout hello every time he saw me. He was a lovely lad.”
Investigating officer Detective Chief Inspector Cath Cummings said: “First and foremost, our thoughts are with the man’s family and friends at this tragic time. I know people living in the local community will be understandably upset and concerned, but I want them to be reassured that we are thoroughly investigating the circumstances surrounding this incident.
“A murder investigation is now underway and we are appealing for information. We know there were people inside The Village Chippy at the time, so if you haven’t already done so, please come forward if you have information.”
Manager of the takeaway, Xiau Chen, who described hearing a “bang” while in the back of the shop, before rushing to the front where he found a man with “blood all over his face”.
Mr Chen, together with his wife, who also works at the shop, and a regular customer, attended to the victim. He claimed he had not seen the attacker, who had already fled the premises. He said: “It happened so fast. No one knows what was said for this to happen. We really want to know why it happened. It was a big shock for us all and I want to know why this happened in here. The man had a lot of blood on his face and we helped clean him up.”
