Man who beat mum's ex-boyfriend to death at birthday party is jailed for life

A brutal thug who killed his mum's vulnerable ex-boyfriend after being invited to a birthday party has been jailed for life.

Thomas Gomm was murdered by a lad who was half his age, in an attack that saw him left with traumatic head injuries before he died in hospital two days later, Minshull Street Crown Court heard. Jack Naylor, 22, was invited to a party by his mum Lyndsey Davidson at her home in Irlam.

His trial heard that Ms Davidson had invited to celebrate his 22nd birthday. He arrived at about 7.30pm on December 15 last year, where Mr Gomm was also in attendance.

The court heard, Mr Gomm, from Tyldesley, was 'vulnerable' as he was an alcoholic with chronic liver problems and suffered from restricted mobility, the trial heard, while Naylor was described as 'younger, fitter, faster, stronger'.

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Mr Gomm, 44, had arrived after taking a taxi from The Railway pub, where he was a regular and had watched the Manchester derby. Naylor, his mother and Mr Gomm had seemed 'relaxed' as they drank vodka together at the party. Although 'everybody appeared to be getting on initially', Ms Davidson noticed some 'difficulties' between Mr Gomm and her son, prosecutors said.

She described her 22-year-old son 'play fighting' with her and 'jabbing at her face' which prompted Mr Gomm to say words to the effect of 'don't do that to your mum'.

Naylor stopped his mother leaving through the front door but she managed to exit via the back door to go to a friend's house. "At this point according to Lyndsey there had been no violence between Tom and the defendant," said prosecutor Mark Ford KC.

At 7.54pm, Naylor knocked on the friend's door and his mother hid from her son in one of the bedrooms, closed the door and 'braced' it with her foot. The prosecutor told the jury they may have wondered why Ms Davidson 'felt that was necessary', adding that her son's 'presentation' at the front door had 'immediately caused anxiety'.

Naylor appeared to be 'wild-eyed and agitated' at the door and he had blood on his hands and was demanding money for beer and cigarettes. Police were called and the defendant was arrested. When police officers attended the home on Irvine Avenue, they encountered a 'disgusting scene' with Mr Gomm laying unresponsive in a pool of blood against a sofa in the front room.

Paramedics and the air ambulance were called in and Mr Gomm was taken to hospital where he went into cardiac arrest. Despite undergoing emergency surgery, he died in hospital on the evening of December 17, 2024. A post mortem examination concluded he died of 'traumatic head injuries'. A Home Office pathologist found he had suffered 'extensive and severe bruising' to his head and neck.

Mr Gomm had also suffered fractures to his jaw and 'blunt force' injuries to his shoulder. The injuries were consistent with having been kicked, stamped or kicked while other injuries may have been 'defensive'. Mr Ford said 'we may never determine with certainty what prompted the attack'.

A jury unanimously found Naylor, of Browning Avenue, Atherton, guilty of murder and an offence of racially aggravated harassment, committed against an attending police officer. He was found not guilty of two charges of assaulting an emergency worker.

He was told he will serve a minimum of 16 years behind bars.

After the hearing, Lisa Moorby, Senior Crown Prosecutor for Crown Prosecution Service North West, said: “Jack Naylor carried out a brutal attack on Mr Gomm which led to his death. Naylor then became abusive upon arrest and subjected one of the officers to racial abuse.

“He failed to take full responsibility for his actions, claiming that he only hit Mr Gomm in self-defence and that the victim died due to previous injuries. The Crown Prosecution Service was able to comprehensively disprove those claims at trial.

“As Naylor begins his prison sentence, I hope Thomas Gomm’s loved ones can begin to move forward with their lives knowing Thomas’ killer has been brought to justice.”