Baby-faced teen punched man, 58, unconscious in street attack – but is cleared of murder despite him dying days later
A DRUNKEN baby-faced teenager who knocked a man unconscious in a vicious street attack has been cleared of his murder.
Kelsea O’Hara was 19 when she punched Andrew Turner, 58, after he refused to apologise for bumping into her friend in Bridlington, East Yorkshire.
Mr Turner fell to the ground after being punched by O’Hara and hit his head on the floor, knocking him unconscious.
He died six days later in September last year, with Humberside Police launching a murder investigation.
Hull Crown Court heard that O’Hara, now 20, punched Mr Turner after he wouldn’t say sorry to her pal, leaving him with a cut of five to seven inches to the back of his head.
But experts told the court that despite her victim passing away so soon after the violent attack, O’Hara was not responsible for his death.
She pleaded guilty to wounding, and was handed a six month suspended sentence along with a curfew by Judge Sophie McKone.
Andrew Espley, prosecuting, said that Mr Turner went out for drinks in Bridlington with a friend where O'Hara and four of her friends were also out drinking.
Mr Turner's friend knew one of O'Hara's friends and he apologised to her for an incident a couple of weeks earlier.
O'Hara confronted Mr Turner in Marlborough Terrace at around 1.30am, and asked him if he would apologise to one of her friends, whom he had accidentally walked into, but he refused.
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Mr Espley said: "O'Hara threw her purse onto the floor and launched herself at Mr Turner, punching him in the face once and causing him to lose consciousness when he fell to the floor, hitting his head in the process when he fell.”
"He tried to get up when he regained consciousness but could not do so. Mr Turner did not die until September 3 so she would not have been asked about causing his death.
"The punch seems to have been impulsive and spontaneous and it was one punch."
Police and paramedics rushed to the scene but Mr Turner refused to go to hospital, and his injuries were not initially thought to be life threatening.
O’Hara was arrested and made no comment during police interview, and was not quizzed in further detail as Mr Turner was still alive.
'TRAGIC CASE'
Hull Crown Court heard that his death didn’t have “anything to do with” O’Hara, which was confirmed by a pathologist and a neuropathologist.
Dale Brook, mitigating, said O'Hara had originally been charged with causing grievous bodily harm with intent but she had denied this.
Mr Brook added: "She has expressed heartfelt and genuine remorse for what she did that night and what happened to the victim.
"It has taken a substantial toll on her. She has understandably thought a great deal about whether she is the cause of what happened to the victim. This is a tragic case.
"She behaved in an inexcusable way, which had serious consequences for everyone involved.
"It was out of character and it is likely that she has learned a very painful lesson as a result of what happened that night."
O'Hara was given a six-month suspended prison sentence, a six-month 7pm to 6am curfew, and 20 days of rehabilitation.
Sentencing O’Hara Judge Sophie McKone said: "Mr Turner has since died but I make it absolutely clear that you bear no responsibility for that.
"There is evidence from two experts, a pathologist and a neuropathologist, who concluded that your actions did not contribute to his death.
"You were violent towards him. You had been drinking. You asked Mr Turner to apologise because you say that he had bumped into a friend of yours.
"It may be that he refused to apologise but that was no reason to resort to violence and punch somebody because you were not happy about that. It is absolutely no excuse whatsoever."
Maxine Thompson-Curl CEO of OnePunchUK told the Sun: “He died days after being punched so therefore this must be taken into consideration and the chain of effects must be looked into.
“Far too often the perpetrator of one punch assaults get away with the sentence of the crime, if either murder or manslaughter.
“Mr Turners family should appeal such a lenient sentence.
“Miss O’Hara actually put her handbag down so she could use her hands and throw the punch.
“That is diabolical and she has clearly shown she wanted to hurt Mr Turner.
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“What sort of justice could such a lenient sentence give
“I am shocked and disgusted that a judge could even begin to excuse her actions.”
