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Man not guilty of student murder

Wed Apr 30 13:10:17 UTC 2008

Match day host cleared of murder

Wed Apr 30 16:41:24 UTC 2008

A man has been found not guilty of murdering a student from Bangor on the directions of a trial judge.

A corporate match day host at Manchester United has been cleared of murdering a student from Bangor on the directions of a trial judge.

Sion Hardy, 24, died after an assault in an underpass in Liverpool. Sion Hardy, 24, died after an assault in an underpass in Liverpool.
Kevin O'Dea, 22, from Salford, denied murder and the judge has ruled there was insufficient evident to show he planned to cause serious harm.Kevin O'Dea, 22, from Salford, who is also a former student and barman, still faces a manslaughter charge at Liverpool Crown Court.
He still faces a manslaughter charge. Fellow student Simon Taylor, 20, from Wigan denies murder and manslaughter at the trial at Liverpool Crown Court.The judge has ruled there was insufficient evidence, which made a murder conviction "unsustainable".
Fellow student Simon Taylor, 20, from Wigan denies murder and manslaughter at the trial at Liverpool Crown Court.
Mr Hardy, who had been socialising with friends, died after receiving a blow to the neck in November 2007.Mr Hardy, who had been socialising with friends, died after receiving a blow to the neck in November 2007.
The prosecution say the defendants are responsible for his death but after one witness failed to identify Mr O'Dea as having attacked Mr Hardy, Judge Henry Globe QC directed the jury to find him not guilty of murder.The prosecution say the defendants are responsible for his death but after one witness failed to identify Mr O'Dea as having attacked Mr Hardy, Judge Henry Globe QC directed the jury to find him not guilty of murder.
Mr Hardy, a student at Liverpool University's department of civic design, suffered a brain haemorrhage and was pronounced dead at the Royal Liverpool Hospital.Mr Hardy, a student at Liverpool University's department of civic design, suffered a brain haemorrhage and was pronounced dead at the Royal Liverpool Hospital.
The judge said the evidence against Mr O'Dea was "unsustainable" to convict of murder.
Mr O'Dea, originally from County Donegal in Ireland, also works as a cocktail barman and studied sports science at Liverpool John Moores University.
His defence case opened today.
Mr O'Dea said he began the night drinking Amaretto and Coke but denied wantingto fight at the nightclub before Mr Hardy was killed.
Under questioning from his barrister Richard Pratt QC, he said he did not wantto get involved in any trouble.
Mr O'Dea denies manslaughter and Mr Taylor denies murder and manslaughter.