Wiltshire Police have charged a 40-year-old man with manslaughter in connection with the death of a Swindon resident, 13 years after an assault left the victim with life-altering injuries. The development follows a reopened investigation into the attack on Sam Rees, who passed away in December 2023.
On 1 April 2013, 27-year-old Sam Rees was assaulted on Wood Street in Old Town. He was discovered by staff from The Kings Hotel, where resident DJ and Great Western Hospital nurse Tony McClusky provided first aid before emergency services arrived. Mr. Rees sustained a significant head injury and was treated at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford. He required full-time care for the remainder of his life.
Abuzer Erdem, 40, of Ferndale Road, Swindon, was originally convicted of inflicting grievous bodily harm for the 2013 incident and served a 12-month prison sentence. Following the death of Mr. Rees in 2023, the Wiltshire Police Major Crime Investigation Team reopened the case, resulting in the new manslaughter charge.
Mr. Erdem has been released on conditional bail. He is expected to appear at Swindon Magistrates Court on 26 May 2026.
About this article: This story was put together with the help of AI tools and checked by a real person on our team. We're a small crew trying to cover as much of the UK as we can on a limited budget. We're getting better every day - but we're not perfect yet. If something looks off, let us know. You're part of the process.
