Man, 33, jailed for murder after fatal row in bar

A man has been jailed for life for murder after hitting a man with a dog lead and then punching him to the ground.

Richard Smith-Slater, 33, attacked Craig Gill, 61, after a row broke out in Blake’s Bar, in Newton Aycliffe, on 8 July 2023.

Mr Gill suffered a cardiac arrest and died in hospital five days later.

Smith-Slater was found guilty of murder and sentenced to life in prison, with a minimum term of 14 years, at Teesside Crown Court on Tuesday.

CCTV showed the row lasted no longer than a few minutes.

Mr Gill fell backwards onto the floor after being knocked unconscious by Smith-Slater.

The 61-year-old suffered a cardiac arrest and was taken to James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough, where he later died.

The jury at Teesside Crown Court returned a unanimous guilty verdict on Monday following a week-long trial.

Det Ch Insp Chris Smiles, of Durham Constabulary, said: “Smith-Slater claimed self defence, but he was the only one throwing punches, he could have just walked away."

He added: “Time and again we see the devastating consequences of this type of incident.

"It must stop."

Follow BBC Tees on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected].