Featured Image Credit: Hull Daily Mail/MEN Media
Topics: UK News
Hannah Smith
A teenager who knocked a man unconscious with one punch on a night out has been cleared of causing his death in court.
Andrew Turner, 58, was attacked by Kelsea O'Hara, now 20, after he refused to apologise for bumping into her friend in Bridlington, East Yorkshire.
After being punched by O'Hara he fell to the ground and hit his head, causing him to lose consciousness. Despite suffering a cut of five to seven inches to his head, Turner was not admitted to hospital after having refused to go, and died six days later.
His cause of death was not revealed, however during a trial at Hull Crown Court a neuropathologist confirmed that O'Hara's punch did not have 'anything to do' with his demise.
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Following a murder investigation O'Hara pled guilty to wounding, and was sentenced to a six-month curfew and a suspended prison sentence.
The court heard that at around 1:30am on 28 August the then 19-year-old had confronted Turner while both were out drinking with separate groups, and asked him to apologise for accidentally walking into her friend.
When he refused, O'Hara 'threw her purse onto the floor and launched herself at Mr Turner, punching him in the face once and causing him to lose consciousness when he fell to the floor, hitting his head in the process when he fell.'
"The punch seems to have been impulsive and spontaneous and it was one punch," the prosecution said.
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Dale Brook, mitigating, told the court that O'Hara had 'expressed heartfelt and genuine remorse' for her actions, adding: "She behaved in an inexcusable way, which had serious consequences for everyone involved. It was out of character and it is likely that she has learned a very painful lesson as a result of what happened that night."
He added that O'Hara had 'an awful start in life,' with both her father and a former partner in jail for serious offences.
The incident had caused her significant 'stress and trauma,' he added, though nothing in comparison to what happened to Turner and his family.
Passing sentencing, Judge Sophie Mckone told O'Hara that following expert evidence it was 'absolutely clear that you bear no responsibility' for Turner's death, but nevertheless said her actions were inexcusable.
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"You were violent towards him. You had been drinking. You asked Mr Turner to apologise because you say that he had bumped into a friend of yours. It may be that he refused to apologise but that was no reason to resort to violence and punch somebody because you were not happy about that. It is absolutely no excuse whatsoever."