Man not guilty of murder after fatal pub punch

A man has been found not guilty of murder after the death of another man at a pub in West Sussex.

David Hallatt, 57, died from blunt force head injury after falling when he was punched at The Dolphin and Anchor in Chichester on 20 June.

Kieran Egan, 30, of Baldmoor Lake Road in Birmingham, previously admitted manslaughter but denied murder.

On Tuesday, a jury found Egan not guilty of murder. He has been held in custody and will be sentenced for manslaughter at a later date.

A trial at Hove Crown Court heard that Mr Hallatt, from Sheffield, was acting as a "peacemaker" between a "troublemaker friend" and other men.

Jurors saw CCTV footage of Egan trying to stamp on Mr Hallatt's friend before turning to Mr Hallatt and striking him in the face.

The second defendant, Dyce Barnfield, 31, from Birmingham, was also found not guilty of murder and will be released.

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