THE family of Ryan Passey have vowed to press ahead with plans for civil action against the man who stabbed their son after he failed to respond to court papers.

Ryan's dad Adrian Passey confirmed in December that he was beginning legal proceedings on behalf of his 24-year-old son, who was knifed and killed in a Stourbridge nightspot on August 6, 2017.

Kobe Murray, who was 19 at the time, was acquitted after a criminal trial at Birmingham Crown Court in February 2018 of both murder and manslaughter charges after claiming self-defence.

Ryan's family and supporters, however, branded the verdict 'perverse' as Murray from Dudley had admitted to the jury that he had "stabbed out" at keen footballer Ryan, from Quarry Bank, during a fracas at what was Chicago's nightclub.

Three years on from the court case they say they are determined to "never give up until justice is finally served for Ryan" and they are continuing with a civil case to try to hold Murray to account.

The Justice for Ryan campaign said Murray, who is believed to have changed his name, had initially asked via solicitors for extra time to respond to the claim which was submitted in December.

But they have since been informed the law firm is no longer be acting for him and that Murray himself would be filing a defence by February 25. No defence, however, has yet been received.

Campaign spokesman Jason Connon said: "We will now be moving forwards and instructing our legal team to write to the courts to request an application for a default judgment to be made against him, legally holding him responsible for the unlawful killing of Ryan.

"This is just one of a number of actions we are currently undertaking in our fight to get justice for Ryan. We will fight on in Ryan’s memory."