Steven Shevels ‘killed’ outside Willington Queen’s Head pub

Jurors were shown CCTV footage of a heavily intoxicated Steven Shevels being pushed over outside the Queen’s Head pub, causing a fatal head injury, last December 24.

Mr Shevels had drunk around a dozen pints of lager before he became embroiled in a ‘petty’ dispute with his alleged killer Martin Greensmith, Teesside Crown Court heard on Monday (August 24)

The 61-year-old was pronounced dead in the rear beer garden after paramedics were unable to revive him.

Teesside Crown Court heard how the 37-year-old defendant had earlier deliberately bumped into Mr Shevels and made an indecent hand gesture towards him while he was drinking in the Queen’s Head.

(Image: DURHAM CONSTABULARY)

Jolyon Perks, prosecuting, said Mr Shevels was known as a drinker but he was not barred from any pubs around the Crook and Willington areas.

The jury heard how Greensmith was drinking in the Queen’s Head with his mother, brothers, uncle and grandmother at around 4.35pm when he pushed Mr Shevels to the ground where he remained prone.

He said: “The paramedics located an unconscious male laying on a raised patio area just outside the rear door of the pub.

“Some of those present were attempting CPR, paramedics took over and despite their efforts, the male remained unresponsive and was pronounced life extinct at the scene.

“The deceased was Steven Shevels and he was 61-years-of-age. He lost his life as a direct result of this defendant pushing him backwards so that he fell striking his head as he did so on the concrete path.”

Mr Perks said the incident was borne out through ‘petty animosity and ill-feeling’ towards Mr Shevels.

The jury heard how Mr Shevels had consumed a significant amount of alcohol throughout the day and was three times over the legal driving limit at the time of his death.

Mr Perks added: “He was known to frequent a number of local pubs. It appears that whilst he was not barred from any of them, he was limited to the amount of alcohol he was allowed to consume before being moved on.”

He said Mr Shevels started drinking shortly after 10am on Christmas Eve in the Horseshoe Inn in Crook where he drank five pints before leaving at 12.30pm.

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

Mr Shevels then headed to the New Kings, where he drank another four pints of lager before travelling to Willington on the bus.

“He was already unsteady on his feet,” Mr Perks added. “It would have been obvious to anyone present that he was under the influence of alcohol.”

CCTV footage captured a series of interactions between Mr Shevels and the defendant’s mother Angela Greensmith before he barged into the alleged victim while he was at the bar.

Greensmith then made an indecent hand gesture towards Mr Shevels before his mother and uncle intervened and moved him away.

The court heard how shortly after that incident, Mr Shevels walked into the pub’s rear beer garden while the defendant was outside with his brother.

CCTV footage captured the defendant push over Mr Shevels as he walked back into the bar – leaving him on the ground.

Mr Perks said the defendant briefly helped Mr Shevels before leaving the pub and “going to ground”.

He said Greensmith’s mother persuaded her son to hand himself into police and was arrested at her home at lunchtime on Christmas Day.

When interviewed by police, he made no comment to police questions.

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

His lawyer, Paul Rooney, told the jury that his client had reacted to Mr Shevel’s aggressive behaviour and used lawful self-defence after he raised his arms towards his client and he pushed him away using reasonable force.

He said: “What he did was reasonable in light of the situation he honestly believed he faced when confronted by a drunken, aggressive man.”

The trial continues.