One-punch killer found guilty of manslaughter
A MAN who killed his victim with a single punch to the head in an unprovoked attack has been found guilty of manslaughter.
Christopher George, 27, assaulted Carl Chinnock, 50, during an incident in Porthcawl on June 23, where he knocked the victim unconscious and fled the scene.
Mr Chinnock subsequently fell into a coma and died two days later at the Princess of Wales Hospital in Bridgend.
George had been out drinking and taking drugs in Porthcawl town centre on the night prior to the attack and was said to be “looking for a fight”.
Witnesses described the defendant approaching Mr Chinnock, who was in the Salt Lake car park, and punching him to the side of the head.
George, of Heol y Berllan, Pyle, denied manslaughter, but he was found guilty by a jury yesterday following a trial at Cardiff Crown Court.
At an earlier hearing prosecutor Ieuan Bennett told the court: “The prosecution say Christopher George simply wanted a fight that night and wanted to show off to his friends and have a bit of sport with Mr Chinnock, who he knew was not really interested in having a fight with him.
“It was not a fight between two consenting men but a cowardly attack on an older man by a fitter and younger man. Mr Chinnock did not have the chance to defend himself.”
The court heard George and friend CJ Sharp bumped into the defendant’s work friends, Dylan Sykes and Trystan Packer, along with their friend Corey Griffiths at the Picton pub in Porthcawl at around 8pm.
They then moved on to the Buccaneer pub on the seafront, but as it was closing they bought some cans of alcohol and walked towards an area of disused land near Hi Tide car park.
Here the group continued drinking and smoked cannabis.
Mr Bennett said: “Whatever he took, the defendant was fired up.”
Prior to that, George was said to have been trying to start a confrontation with another group.
At around 11.30pm, the group walked towards the Sandpiper Inn, where George and Mr Sharp were going to get a taxi back to Pyle.
At the same time, Mr Chinnock was helping friend Jamie Williams, now deceased, who was intoxicated and struggling to walk.
They walked to the Salt Lake car park when they encountered the group of five men.
Mr Bennett said: “Somebody shouted something out and it appeared the shouting was coming from the Salt Lake car park... It was Christopher George, who was looking to hit somebody, who interpreted that noise as some sort of challenge.
“Christopher George started marching up to the Salt Lake car park followed closely by CJ Sharp. Dylan Sykes knew exactly what Mr George was going to do because he shouted, ‘stop, stop.’
“Sadly, the defendant ignored the advice of Mr Sykes.”
He added: “Mr Chinnock was standing up with his arms by his side, he was not threatening anybody. Christopher George simply walked straight up to him and punched him in the side of the head, that is not a case of selfdefence... As a result of that single blow, Mr Chinnock fell to the ground, hitting his head forcefully to the ground itself.”
A post-mortem examination was carried out which gave a cause of death as a combination of a ripped right vertebral artery in the neck and extensive bleeding to the brain, consistent with a history of collapse in cardiac arrest after a punch.
Yesterday, Judge Michael Fitton QC remanded the defendant in custody to appear for sentencing on January 7 next year.