Family has 'no closure' two years on from death

A family say they have been left with "no closure" two years after a grandad died following an argument outside his home.

Brian Gatley was found collapsed in Samphire Street in Port Clarence, Stockton-on-Tees, on the evening of 28 November and died two days later in hospital.

A murder investigation was launched, with seven people arrested at the time in connection with what happened, but no-one has been charged over the 61-year-old's death.

Two years on, a renewed appeal for information has been issued by Mr Gatley's family and Cleveland Police.

Police said Mr Gatley had been involved in an argument with a group of people outside his home that evening and his window had been smashed.

An incident in Hatfield Road, Billingham, believed to have involved some of the same people, happened earlier that evening, when a house was damaged, and another man was assaulted, the force added.

Mr Gatley's family said "Big Bri" was missed "so much".

"Some of Bri’s grandkids never got to meet their grandad, and without knowing what really happened to him, we cannot explain this to all the kids and we can't have any closure."

They said they would miss him even more at Christmas as "it was a big time for him" and he would host the family on Christmas Day.

They added: "As we head towards Christmas as a family, without Big Bri again, we want to ask anyone who has any information at all to please tell the police.

"Please help our family get the answers we need to try and move forward and get some closure."

DCI Karen Naunton said police believed "Brian died at the hands of others" and were "determined to find out exactly what happened that night".

She added: "Two years is a long, long time for a grieving family to wait to get some answers."

Anyone with information or who witnessed what happened is asked to contact Cleveland Police

Follow BBC Tees on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected].