Killer faces jail after fatal punch
KILLER Scott Thompson is facing a ‘substantial’ prison sentence after he was found guilty of the manslaughter of a man outside a city centre nightclub.
Graham Thurston had been out with friends at Powerhouse in Newcastle when he became involved in an altercation in the street with Thompson, who had also been in the club.
Thompson, who prosecutors said was ‘looking for trouble,’ knocked Mr Thurston to the ground with a punch but no real damage was done then.
Not content with that outburst of violence, the thug then crossed the road shortly afterwards and struck him again with what one witness described as ‘one hell of a punch.’
That blow caused the 54-year-old dad, of North Shields, to fall and crack his head on the ground, inflicting fatal injuries.
Thompson had denied manslaughter, claiming self-defence, but jurors at Newcastle Crown Court rejected his account and convicted him.
The 33-year-old, of Gateshead, was warned he faces a spell behind bars when he is sentenced next month.
Judge Paul Sloan QC adjourned the case for reports to be compiled to assess the issue of dangerousness and Thompson was further remanded in custody. The judge told him: “You should understand, the fact I’m adjourning sentence and directing the preparation of presentence reports is not an indication of the sentence that will be imposed.
“You will appreciate you will receive a substantial sentence of imprisonment.”
The court heard it was between 5.30am and 6am on Sunday, August 6 last year when medics arrived at the rear of Powerhouse on Westmorland Road, Newcastle.
Lying on the ground was Mr Thurston, who was given CPR then taken to the RVI, where he arrived at 6.05am. Despite the efforts of doctors, he died just over three hours later.
Prosecutor David Lamb said during the trial: “A post-mortem was conducted and the pathologist concluded the cause of death was a blunt head injury, consistent with a forceful impact between the back of his head and a hard surface such as a pavement or road.
“In short, the prosecution allege it was this defendant who unlawfully killed Mr Thurston by punching him, causing him to be knocked to the ground, where he hit his head.”
When Thompson was interviewed by police he accepted hitting Mr Thurston but claimed it was done in self-defence because he thought Mr Thurston was about to attack him after he challenged him about allegedly bullying another man.
Mr Lamb said the evidence shows there were two incidents that early morning between Thompson and Mr Thurston.
The court heard it in a lane off Marlborough Crescent, which provides access for coaches, that the fatal injury was inflicted.
A witness said when she told Thompson he could have killed Mr Thurston, he replied ‘I don’t care,’ the court heard.
Mr Lamb said of Thompson’s police interviews: “The defendant put forward that he accepted punching Mr Thurston but said he did so because he thought he was about to be attacked himself.”
The court heard Thompson, of Medway Crescent, Gateshead, had previously admitted a charge of having an offensive weapon – a knuckle duster – on the night in question but prosecutors do not say he was using it at the time of hitting Mr Thurston.
The court heard the knuckle duster was found in a plant pot at Thompson’s home when it was searched after his arrest, following him handing himself in on August 8.