A man has been convicted of the gruesome murder of his mother after he stamped on her head. In an attack that occurred at their Bury residence last year, Suzanne Galvin, 55, was found with significant bruising all over her body, including distinctive ‘patterning’ on her face that matched the sole design of Ball’s ASICS trainers, detailed evidence presented at Bolton Crown Court revealed.
Stephen Ball, 32, had admitted to manslaughter, citing the partial defence of diminished responsibility. However, he contested the charge of murder. The court heard of events on September 16, 2023, when neighbours reported a commotion at a flat on Pear Avenue before 8pm, where Ball’s voice was heard yelling ‘thieving b****’ and pleading with ‘Mum, let me in’. This disturbance triggered calls to the emergency services. Furthermore, Ball reached out to his grandmother, Mary Galvin, who resides in Ireland.
Prosecutor Gordon Cole KC relayed to the jury how “He said he had come back to the flat to find she was injured. He said he didn’t know if she had been attacked, but said she was struggling to breathe.”, reports the Manchester Evening News.
In detailing Ball’s account to his grandmother Cole added, “He told her that her wrist was broken and she had bruising to her eyes and shoulder and she was lay on the bed. Mary told the defendant that Suzanne needed to go to the hospital, but he told his grandmother that Suzanne said she did not want to go to hospital at that stage and would go in the morning.” The trial also shed light on Mrs Galvin’s desperation as she asked to speak with her daughter, only to hear her erratic breathing. Despite her urging for Ball to call an ambulance, he claimed he had ‘no credit’; a claim which led her to dial 999 herself.
Ms. Galvin was discovered unresponsive on a mattress and was subsequently taken to Salford Royal Hospital, where she passed away two days later. A post-mortem examination revealed that a blunt force head injury was the cause of her death, with the report also noting “patterned bruising” on her face. Upon Ball’s arrest, police found ASICS trainers in his bedroom, and analysis of the sole pattern matched the markings on his mother’s face. “This is consistent with stamping on her head or face,” Mr. Cole informed the jurors.
Ball was taken into custody and provided conflicting accounts to the authorities. Initially charged with assault, he was later charged with murder following his mother’s passing. The court was told that Ball and his mother had a strained and aggressive relationship, with both struggling with addiction. Ms. Galvin was seen with facial injuries the day before her death, according to testimony.
Ball, a resident of Pear Avenue, chose not to testify during his trial. Despite denying the murder charge, the jury delivered a unanimous guilty verdict. His sentencing is scheduled for November 1. Ball was remanded into custody and will be held at Ashworth hospital.
Addressing the jury, Judge Martin Walsh stated: “The sentence is fixed by law as life imprisonment, I have to determine the mandatory minimum term and I will hear arguments about that next time. It is likely he will be detained at Ashworth hospital for a significant period of time before he will be considered for release by the Parole Board.” As he was led to the cells, Ball made gestures towards his family members in the public gallery.