The aspiring lawyer was arrested on suspicion of murder following the fatal Valentine’s Day attack
A law student studying at the University of Southampton has been charged with manslaughter following the death of a 49-year-old father of 10 on Valentine’s Day.
Gary ‘Jeff’ Stacey died in hospital after being found, in the early hours of 14 February, by a bus driver lying in the middle of the street with severe head injuries. It is understood that he was assaulted at around 4am. His family chose to switch off his life support machine.
21-year-old Ryan Cooper — who is in his second year of study at the Russell Group university — was initially arrested on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm (GBH). Following Stacey’s death, the budding lawyer was then arrested on suspicion of murder.
Cooper is now facing manslaughter charges. He has been released on bail, and is due to appear at Isle of Wight Combined Court on 1 July.
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