Sunderland football fan accused of killing man with one punch gives evidence at trial
A football fan has told a jury he threw a “defensive, left one-punch shot” during a night out in which a man was killed
Lewis MacLeod , 36, travelled to London from the North East on September 12 last year for a Premier League match between Sunderland and Crystal Palace.
MacLeod said he was “scared and terrified” when he threw the punch in the early hours of the next day at Michael Edwards, 43, outside a convenience store in Borough High Street, south-east London .
MacLeod, of Sunderland, was charged with the manslaughter of Mr Edwards, of Warwickshire, who died in hospital four days later.
On Thursday, MacLeod told Inner London Crown Court he never meant to cause serious injury to Mr Edwards, saying: “I'm absolutely devastated and always will be.
“I never wanted this to happen. I'm gutted.”
MacLeod said he and his friend David Jackson had just “walked away” from an incident outside Belushi's bar involving Mr Edwards and his friend, James Roberts, who were “getting angry”.
MacLeod said he stepped into a shop because he "thought it would be safer" as Mr Edwards and his friend were following them and telling them to “get outside now”.
He added: “I was absolutely terrified and scared. Who would not be scared of the two men? They were definitely going for trouble.”
MacLeod told them he was sorry and Mr Jackson also urged them to calm down .
MacLeod added: “I was just that scared and in fear that they were not taking no for an answer.”
He recalled his hand being touched twice like he was about to be pulled out of the shop.
MacLeod said he felt he was “going to get seriously hurt by these two big men and I just gave them a defensive, left one-punch shot”.
MacLeod then stood with his arms apart and outstretched in the witness box as he told the jury that this was how he was standing when he told the men to “leave it” and then delivered the blow.
Mr Edwards fell backwards on to the street and hit his head and there was blood on the pavement when he was moved, jurors have heard.
A fight then broke out between MacLeod and Roberts who moved into the shop and knocked items over inside.
MacLeod said: “It all happened fast because his friend punched me straight away but I was trying to defend myself.
“I fractured my eye socket and I was on the floor. I was hazy, dazed and hurt.”
Mr Jackson tried to separate them and at some point MacLeod punched him as he was crouched down.
MacLeod told the court: “I should not have. I accept I was in the wrong.”
He walked away from the shop without realising how badly Mr Edwards had been hurt.
MacLeod said his memory is not clear as he walked away from the fight but he knows he took some more cocaine and was “shocked” when the police arrested him and said Mr Edwards was seriously hurt.
MacLeod had started the evening at about 4pm and felt "OK" after drinking eight pints at a pub near King's Cross.
He later moved to another pub in Elephant and Castle where he did not finish a vodka and coke and took cocaine at both venues.
He also had two beers at Belushi's, the court heard.
Jurors have seen CCTV footage of Mr Edwards and Roberts vaping outside Belushi's when Mr Jackson and MacLeod were asked to leave the bar.
Outside the venue, the footage showed MacLeod trying to shake hands with Mr Edwards before trying repeatedly to touch his groin, which Mr Edwards batted away.
MacLeod and Mr Jackson then moved off while Mr Edwards and Roberts gestured after them and went to speak to security.
MacLeod has previously admitted a charge of assault causing actual bodily harm against Roberts, for punching him while he checked on Mr Edwards, who was lying motionless on the ground.
Roberts has denied a charge of affray in relation to the incident and is awaiting trial.
MacLeod made a personal statement at the end of his evidence, saying "no matter what the outcome of this I want to apologise to the family and I am absolutely devastated", at which point a bereaved relative, sitting in court, burst into tears.
Blunt force trauma to the head was given as the cause of death at a post-mortem examination.
Mr Edwards' injuries included bruising to the right side of his chin, a laceration to the back of the head, a fracture to the back of the head and a severe traumatic brain injury.
Pathologist Dr Simon Poole said: "The deep bruising to the lower part of the right-hand side of Mr Edwards' face could have been caused by a punch.
"The external injury to the scull, skull fracture and traumatic brain injury were consistent with contact against a hard flat surface such as a road or pavement following a backwards fall."
Tests showed Mr Edwards had cocaine and ketamine in his body and Dr Poole said: "It is possible that these drugs might have been relevant to the circumstances of the incident but they did not contribute to the cause of death."
MacLeod had travelled to stay with Mr Jackson, before they were to go to Selhurst Park for the Sunderland and Crystal Palace match on September 13 , which ended in a 0-0 draw.
The trial continues.