Sutton Coldfield hit and run murder: Police arrest 33-year-old
A MAN is being quizzed over the murder of a reveller was killed when a hit-and-run driver mounted a footpath and ploughed into a group of people.
Antony Stephen Ames, 21, was killed, and two others were injured in the incident near to the Place 2B pub in Chester Road, Sutton Coldfield in the early hours of Saturday morning.
Witnesses said trouble had broken out between two groups of people during a birthday bash in the pub. They moved outside and one group dispersed, leaving the others standing on a grass verge.
Minutes later, a green Citroen C4 raced up and ploughed into them, fatally wounding Aston Villa fan Mr Ames, from Erdington, and seriously injuring another man. A third suffered minor injuries.
The car was later found burned out in Kingstanding.
A 33-year-old Erdington man was arrested on suspicion of murder on Saturday.
It is understood he was taken to hospital for treatment to some unspecified injuries before later being moved to Sutton Coldfield police station for questioning.
Detectives were last night due to apply for an extension to hold the man for a further 12 hours as the investigation continued.
A large part of Chester Road, near Boldmere, was sealed off for much of Saturday as police carried out investigations into the incident that happened at about 1.30am.
An area of grassland on the junction of Chester Road and Court Lane remained cordoned off by police yesterday as heartbroken friends and family of Mr Ames, a former Perry Common school pupil, began to leave floral tributes at the scene. Witness Michael Webber, 18, standing outside the pub when the incident happened, said he saw a car racing down Court Lane and straight into the group.
He claimed the driver then pulled a hand-brake turn and raced back into the group of about five people, before speeding off along Chester Road.
Mr Webber’s friend Alex Bellerby, 18, said friends rushed to the aid of the injured men and one tried to revive Mr Ames.
He added: “They were lying there next to him, talking to him and trying to get him to come around but he was in a bad way. He’d been hit badly.”
He said Mr Ames’ mother arrived at the scene shortly after.
Detective Inspector Shaun Edwards, from Sutton Coldfield CID, said: “It looks like there has been disorder outside the pub.
“It was a busy pub. People were coming out of the pub just after 1am. So there were lots of people on the car park forecourt who would have been leaving to go home.”
A West Midlands Police spokesman confirmed: “A 33-year-old man from Erdington has been arrested on suspicion of murder and taken to Sutton Coldfield police station for questioning.”
Meanwhile hundreds of people have left tributes to Mr Ames on his facebook profile and on a special website set up in his memory.
Sarah Blair wrote: “Gonna miss u sooooooo much I can not believe u have gone from our family u was the sweetest person ever.”
Fay Louise Parker added: “will never forget you an will treasure our memories.”
Stacey Ames wrote: “I can’t believe how much its hit me. You didn’t deserve this. Now’s the time when u realise how many people really love u and how much u mean 2 people.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact police at Sutton Coldfield Police Station on 0845 113 5000 or call Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.
