Jury retires in the Willington pub manslaughter trial

Martin Greensmith saw his biological father for the first time when Steven Shevels turned up at the Queen’s Head in Willington on Christmas Eve last year.

Mr Shevels, 61, was causing a nuisance in the bar before he was asked to leave by the barman, Teesside Crown Court heard.

Moments later, 37-year-old Greensmith pushed over his dad in the beer garden after he claimed he tried to block his way back into the pub, the jury was told.

The jury heard how Mr Shevels was annoying members of his son’s family, including his mother Angela, and his nanna, after sitting next to them.

Jolyon Perks, prosecuting, said the fatal push was unlawful because it was born out of frustration.

He said the defendant was not acting in self-defence and urged the jury to consider that a reasonable and sober person would realise that the push would result in some harm.

“It does not matter whether the defendant thought he was acting legally at the time,” he said.

Paul Rooney, representing Greensmith, reminded the jury that the defence do not have to prove anything and that it is down the prosecution to prove that he did not act in self-defence.

He said that Christmas Eve was the first time that Greensmith had encountered his ‘dad’ who was acting bizarrely after drinking at least 13 pints.

He added that Mr Greensmith didn’t punch or slap Mr Shevels, he pushed him.

Police outside the Queen’s Head in Willington on Christmas day (Image: THE NORTHERN ECHO)

The CCTV shows the defendant was simply trying to walk back into pub and get away from this “drunken and aggressive man”, he said.

CCTV captured Mr Shevels hitting his head on the concrete surface in the beer garden of the Willington pub on Christmas Eve.

Paramedics spent an hour trying to revive the 61-year-old, but he was declared dead at the scene.

Pathologist Jennifer Bolton told the court that Mr Shevels suffered a cardiac arrest while unconscious and never recovered.

She said the cause of death was triggered by the fall and not an underlying heart condition he had.

Greensmith, of Rockingham Road, Sunnybrow, Willington, denies a charge of manslaughter and maintains that he acted in self-defence.

The trial continues.