Man charged with manslaughter after case reopened

A man previously jailed for GBH over a 2013 attack has now been charged with manslaughter after his victim died a decade later.

Sam Rees, 27, was in the Old Town area of Swindon when he was attacked and left with a significant head injury. He required full-time care up until his death in 2023.

Abuzer Erdem, 40 and of Ferndale Road in Swindon, has been charged with manslaughter after Wiltshire Police reopened the investigation into the original attack against Rees, which took place on Wood Street.

He has been released on conditional bail and is due to appear at Swindon Magistrates Court on 26 May.

Previously, Erdem was jailed for 12 months for inflicting grievous bodily harm.

Det Con Jemma Humphreys, of the Major Crime Investigation Team, has been conducting the investigation.

"This is a tragic case of a young man who suffered significant injuries following an assault in Swindon and tragically died 10 years later," she said.

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