Two men jailed for life for murdering footballer Cody Fisher in Birmingham Boxing Day nightclub stabbing
8 April 2024, 16:06 | Updated: 8 April 2024, 16:18
Two men have been sentenced to life for murdering 23-year-old semi-professional footballer Cody Fisher who was stabbed to death on a nightclub dance floor.
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Mr Fisher was killed in Crane nightclub in Digbeth, Birmingham, on Boxing Day 2022 after being fatally stabbed in the chest.
Remy Gordon, 23, Kami Carpenter, 22, and Reegan Anderson, 19, all denied charges of murder and affray.
After a 10-week trial at Birmingham Crown Court, the jury found Gordon guilty of murder and affray.
Carpenter was given a majority verdict of guilty for murder.
Today, both men were sentenced to life, with Gordon to serve for a minimum of 26 years, and Carpenter to serve a minimum of 25 years.
19-year-old Reegan Anderson was found not guilty of murder nor an alternative charge of manslaughter. However, he was found guilty of affray (group fighting in a public place that disturbs the peace).
The 19-year-old has been jailed for 18 months for his charge but has already served this in custody; he was released on licence.
Prosecutor Michael Duck KC said to the court that Cody Fisher's life "appears to relate to a minor falling out he had with Remy Gordon approximately 48 hours before his death," with the earlier incident occurring at Popworld in Solihull, West Midlands.
Mr Duck added: "The inevitable consequence is that in that sort of environment, people are going to come into contact with each other. It’s simply unavoidable.
"There was a brief coming together of Cody Fisher and Remy Gordon that night.
"Cody Fisher (and the close friend who was later chased at the Crane nightclub) were making their way towards the exit.
"Necessarily they had to move through a crowd of people. Tragically, amongst that crowd was Remy Gordon
"There was a brief contact between Cody Fisher and Remy Gordon’s back it seems.
Police video reveals how murderers of Cody Fisher hunted him down before being arrested
"Cody Fisher, it seems, did little more than touch Remy Gordon's back. Remy Gordon was looking for an argument with somebody."
The court heard how Mr Fisher was not prepared to apologise as he had done nothing wrong and was threatened with violence. He then left the club with a friend.
Allegedly, Gordon sent messages on Snapchat to friends for around 45 minutes after the initial incident, appealing to help identify a photo showing Mr Fisher, who he threatened to 'shank up'.
In a victim impact statement today, Cody's mother Tracey said: "It is not only me who is suffering but Cody's father, Cody's brother and all the rest of Cody's loving family who miss him dearly.
"We all started our life sentences just a little over 12 months ago, when the saddest, most heart-breaking day in all of our lives happened.
"Since this horrendous day, I feel that my own life has ended.
"It is as though I too was stabbed straight through the heart. I have seen myself go from the happiest outgoing person to fighting to get through each and every horrendous, never-ending day, in the abhorrent knowledge that my youngest son, my best friend, is never coming home to sleep in his bedroom, the room that I still cannot enter even to this day."
Cody's girlfriend, Jessica Chatwin, said: "I was supposed to spend the rest of my life with Cody. We had plans ready for the next year, places we were meant to go, and that has now been taken away from us for something so trivial, I believe to be nothing but jealousy and pride."
Mr Fisher died in Ms Chatwin's arms.
After the verdicts were handed down, West Midlands Police Detective Inspector Michelle Thurgood said: "The absolute tragedy of this case is just how trivial the motive was.
"It's the kind of thing that most right-minded people would have just ignored and moved on, but Remy Gordon, for reasons only he can explain, took real exception to this.
"It was a chance brushing together of two men who did not know each other and had no reason to fall out.
"Cody's life has been cut tragically short, and it’s had a catastrophic impact on his family and friends."
