The assault occurred at approximately 7:30 PM on Friday, April 17, inside The Village Chippy off Leach Croft in Stockbridge Village. Carl Ennis sustained a serious head injury during the attack but received assistance from takeaway staff before leaving the premises with his food. Manager Xiau Chen heard a bang while in the back of the shop, rushed to the front, and found a man with blood all over his face. Chen, his wife, and a regular customer attended to the victim, and Chen claimed he had not seen the attacker.
The ambulance service alerted police to the incident the day after the assault when Carl Ennis was admitted to hospital. Merseyside Police confirmed Carl Ennis's death on Tuesday and escalated the investigation into the assault to a murder inquiry. A 25-year-old man from Stockbridge Village was arrested on suspicion of section 18 wounding with intent and remains on conditional bail.
Carl Ennis is a father with relatives in the Boode Croft and Woodfarm Hey area of Stockbridge Village. Loved ones paid tribute to Carl Ennis's kind and caring nature and love of wildlife after his death. Residents in Stockbridge Village described Carl Ennis as a familiar face, a nice lad who would always say hello and had a smiley face.
A murder investigation is underway, and police are appealing for information from people who were inside The Village Chippy at the time. The exact cause of Carl Ennis's death and the specific nature of his injuries have not been disclosed, and the motive for the assault remains unclear.