Man admits hitting fight victim

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A man accused of killing a fellow student has admitted he hit the victim in the face three times.

Simon Taylor, 20, of Wigan, Lancashire, has denied murdering Sion Hardy, 24, from Bangor, Gwynedd, following a night out in Liverpool in November 2007.

Mr Taylor, who the jury heard has a conviction for attacking a police officer, said he punched Mr Hardy because he was attacking his friend.

He and co-accused Kevin O'Dea, 22, from Salford, both deny manslaughter.

The prosecution claim Mr Taylor, Mr O'Dea, and two other men, Richard Faustino and Tom Canning, attacked Mr Hardy's friend Stephen Lunne following a night out and Mr Hardy became innocently caught up with it.

Mr Taylor told Liverpool Crown Court Mr Hardy had attacked his friend in an underpass which is why he hit him.

He grabbed me and forced me backwards to the floor Simon Taylor

"The punches landed to his face. I let go of him and he stepped back.

"There was a step between us and he grabbed my waist and legs and forced me to the floor.

"It was like a rugby hold or tackle. He grabbed me and forced me backwards to the floor."

He added: "He landed on my legs with his head in my crotch area. I just remember I couldn't move or get him off.

"He was bigger than me."

Mr Taylor said Mr Hardy only released his grip when Mr Faustino hit him.

"Rick Faustino hit Sion, hit the man to the head area, which made him get off me," he told the jury.

"He rolled off very fast which allowed me to swing my legs from under him and get up. I wanted to get out of the tunnel."

Insufficient evidence

Mr Hardy, a civic design student at Liverpool University, suffered a brain haemorrhage and was pronounced dead at the Royal Liverpool Hospital.

Mr Taylor has a previous conviction for assaulting a police officer while drunk, which the jury was told about.

He told defence barrister Moira McGowan QC he did not know the man was an officer and had been trying to pull him off his friend.

On Wednesday, the judge ruled there was insufficient evidence for co-accused Kevin O'Dea, originally from County Donegal, to face a murder charge. He is still accused of manslaughter.

The trial continues.