Teenager cleared of Skegness manslaughter
A teenager has walked free from court after he was cleared of unlawfully killing his girlfriend's neighbour in Skegness.
Aston Harris, 19, had denied the manslaughter of Sean Howson, 56, and was found not guilty after a nine day trial at Lincoln Crown Court.
Mr Harris, of Uffington Avenue, Lincoln, was discharged from the dock by Judge Catarina Sjolin Knight after the jury took four hours to return their verdict.
Prosecutors had alleged that Mr Harris unlawfully kicked the older man down a set of stairs which ran between the two flats in Albany Road, Skegness.
But Mr Harris insisted he was only protecting himself when he delivered the kick and did not want to hurt Mr Howson.
Mr Howson was taken to hospital but died from a head injury three days after the incident which happened at about 8.30pm on 3 July.
Mr Howson was drinking with a friend in the garden of his groundfloor flat in Albany Road when an argument broke out with Mr Harris, whose girlfriend lived in the above flat, jurors heard.
Giving evidence, Mr Harris told jurors he fled up the stairs as Mr Howson came towards him.
"He looked scary to me," Mr Harris explained. "I was screaming, telling him to stop, telling him to get back."
Mr Harris added: "I was scared for my life, I knew he wanted to hurt me.
"When he got close and I knew he was in range to attack me I kicked him."
Mr Harris said he panicked and grabbed a bag when he saw blood after Mr Howson fell backwards.
"It felt horrible to know he died," Mr Harris insisted.
Mr Harris said his girlfriend had asked him to go downstairs and "sort things out" when Mr Howson ran straight at him.
Mr Harris said he ran back upstairs after Mr Howson's friend also tried to hit him to the head with his walking stick.
Jurors heard Mr Harris fled to a park but approached a police officer some five hours after the incident and insisted "I was literally defending myself, he (Mr Howson) came at me."