Murderer jailed after Beverley victim suffered ‘violent and cruel’ street attack

At around 1am on Saturday, January 4, 2025, police responded to reports of a serious assault on Saturday Market in Beverley.

When officers arrived at the scene they discovered a man with a serious head injury lying unconscious in the road.

Timothy Tinson was subsequently arrested at the scene on suspicion of attempted murder.

The man who had been seriously assaulted was 44-year-old Matthew Phillips.

Mr Phillips was attended to by the emergency service and was taken to hospital.

Despite best efforts Mr Phillips died from his injuries a short time later.

Police launched an investigation and discovered through their initial enquiries the two men knew each other through a mutual acquaintance.

They found that on the evening of Friday, January 3, both men were present at a property on Lairgate when a verbal disagreement occurred and Tinson was asked to leave.

Later that evening, a final encounter occurred between Tinson and Mr Phillips, involving a verbal exchange which led to a physical confrontation, resulting in Matthew falling into the road.

A court heard how Tinson continued the violent encounter when he “repeatedly applied force to Mr Phillips’ head”, leaving him unconscious with life-threatening injuries - from which he died.

Tinson, of Lairgate in Beverley was charged with murder and denied involvement during an initial court hearing at Hull Magistrates Court this January.

He was then remanded to appear at Hull Crown Court on Monday (Aug 4) where he entered a guilty plea.

Leading the investigation, Detective Chief Inspector Leanne Murphy said: “Shortly after the attack, a local resident reported hearing loud thuds followed by shouting.

“When they opened their door, they found Matthew unconscious in the road with Tinson standing over him, making statements acknowledging his involvement.

‘’Tinson’s deliberate and violent actions that night tragically resulted in Matthew’s death.

“By receiving his sentence today, he is being held accountable for the devastation he caused, sparing Matthew’s family the further anguish of a prolonged trial.

“I hope today’s outcome provides his loved ones with a measure of comfort in knowing the person responsible is now facing the consequences of his actions.

"I also want to thank the members of the public who offered assistance throughout the evening, providing crucial information that supported our investigation and ultimately led to detectives being able to stack up the evidence against Tinson.

“Information provided by the public to assist with this case was invaluable in ensuring that those responsible could be brought to justice, and we would always encourage people to report any concerns or suspicious activity to us, no matter how small, because your information could be the missing puzzle piece needed in the investigation.

“Violent crime will not be tolerated, and I would like this to be a stark warning to anyone who thinks it’s acceptable to unleash violence on our streets.”

Speaking of the heartbreaking loss, Mr Phillips’ sister said: “Matthew was truly loved. His life meant everything to us.

“Since the 4th of January, our world has fallen apart. The way Matthew died was so violent and cruel it's impossible to make sense of.

“Our father passed away shortly after Matthew’s death, heartbroken. We believe the emotional impact of the fatal attack, and everything that followed, weighed heavily on him.

“We’re shattered. We’re hurting deeply and still trying to understand how this could have happened. What Tinson did didn’t just take Matthew’s life - it took away all his hopes, dreams, and the future we thought we’d have with him. That future is now gone.

“So many lives have been affected. And the pain will never go away.

“We miss Matthew every single day. But his memory will always be with us, in our hearts, and in everything we do.”

A spokesperson for Humberside Police added: “Due to prior police contact with Tinson and Matthew, a mandatory referral was made to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) who commenced an Independent Investigation surrounding the circumstances.

“This investigation remains active but paused pending the conclusion of the judicial process.”