Teenager pleads guilty to manslaughter at Weymouth hotel

Joe Michael Williams, 19, pleaded guilty to manslaughter at Bournemouth Crown Court on Monday, August 5.

Williams was previously charged with the murder of 35-year-old Daniel Hrycyszyn at Hotel Central on Maiden Street in Weymouth.

Joe Williams pleaded guilty to manslaughter (Image: Dorset Police)

The charge of murder was withdrawn and Williams faced one charge of manslaughter, to which he pleaded guilty.

Daniel Hrycyszyn was held in a chokehold by Williams and was bleeding from his face in a fight between the two men.

Witnesses described Willaims boasting about how he had ‘dropped’ the victim and ‘put him on the floor’.

The charge related to an incident at the Hotel Central in Maiden Street on the evening of Saturday, December 30.

He sadly died in the early hours of the next day.

The police cordon outside Hotel Central on Maiden Street (Image: Tom Lawrence)

Williams had denied a charge of murder and the pleas were accepted by the Crown Prosecution Service.

The victim, Daniel Hrycyszyn, had previously lived at the hotel, which was no longer a commercial hotel but was being used to provide emergency accommodation for around 17 people.

The cordon outside the hotel in Weymouth (Image: Tom Lawrence)

On the evening of Saturday, December 30, he returned to the hotel to collect some of his belongings and ended up in a verbal dispute with a number of people still living there.

An altercation subsequently took place in the disused bar area involving Mr Hrycyszyn and the defendant.

Witnesses described seeing Williams having the victim in a choke hold before a security guard assisted Mr Hrycyszyn from the disused bar area.

He was also bleeding from the face.

Daniel was taken downstairs to the reception area and, despite the efforts of officers and paramedics who attended, his condition deteriorated and he died at the scene.

A post mortem examination revealed that Daniel had died as a result of severe internal bleeding in the abdominal area.

After the altercation in the bar, Williams could be heard boasting to fellow residents about how he had ‘dropped’ the victim and ‘put him on the floor’.

Williams was arrested by officers following enquiries at the scene and subsequently charged.

Police and ambulances outside Hotel Central on Maiden Street (Image: Supplied)

Detective Inspector Mark Jenkins, of Dorset Police’s Major Crime Investigation Team, said: “Daniel Hrycyszyn very sadly lost his life as a result of an assault at the hands of Joe Williams on the evening of Saturday, December 30.

"There was no reason for Williams to have assaulted Daniel and cause the injuries that tragically cost him his life.

“Our thoughts remain first and foremost with Daniel’s family and loved ones and I would like to thank them for the way they have supported the investigation and court process.

“We have been determined to seek justice for them and I would like to thank all our officers and staff, as well as colleagues from the Crown Prosecution Service, who have worked tirelessly to investigate this matter, compile evidence and build a case, which has ultimately resulted in the defendant admitting the charge of manslaughter.”

The case was adjourned until Wednesday, October 2, for pre-sentence reports to be prepared.

As previously reported, police were called to a man requiring medical assistance at Hotel Central in Maiden Street at around 11pm on Saturday, December 30.

Officers attended and Daniel Hrycyszyn, from Weymouth, was pronounced dead at the scene shortly after 12am on Sunday, December 31.

Five men were arrested and police launched a detailed investigation by detectives from Dorset Police’s Major Crime Investigation Team (MCIT).

Williams was charged, while the four other men were released from the investigation without charge.

Emergency services including three police cars and two ambulances were seen outside the hotel on the evening of December 30.

READ MORE: Police cordon in place outside Hotel Central in Weymouth