A father and son are on trial accused of manslaughter after a man died when he was punched during a work Christmas night out in Southampton.
Totton father and son, Darren Carter, 63, of Rothbury Close, and Luke Carter, 38, of Lackford Avenue, were on a night out in Oxford Street on December 22, 2023 when they came across 48-year-old Abraham Cilliers.
Prosecutor Gemma White told jurors at Southampton Crown Court that Mr Cilliers posed no threat and was at most, “an annoyance”.
The court heard that both defendants, who worked for the same company, had been attending a work Christmas party which ended at One Oxford in Oxford Street.
Mr Cilliers had been on a separate work Christmas night out but had been refused re-entry to the nearby Medbar because he was intoxicated, jurors were told.
Jurors were shown CCTV footage which appeared to show Mr Cilliers approaching the defendants’ group who were looking after an extremely drunk colleague in the street.
Ms White said Mr Cilliers initially interacted amicably with the group and even hugged one member before the tone changed.
The prosecutor alleged Darren Carter entered Mr Cilliers’ personal space, prompting a push in response and leading to a confrontation involving pushing and grabbing.
In a police interview, Luke Carter said Mr Cilliers punched his father, who then told him: “Luke hit him.”
Luke Carter admitted doing so, the court was told.
CCTV footage showed Mr Cilliers falling to the ground and hitting the back of his head on the pavement, causing a skull fracture.
However, Ms White said pathologists concluded the fatal injury was not caused by the fall, but by the punch, which caused internal bleeding inside Mr Cilliers’ skull.
She told jurors: “Perhaps he did not really need to involve himself in what was going on, but he did not pose any threat and was, the Crown suggest, at the highest an annoyance.”
Almost immediately after the incident, Luke Carter placed Mr Cilliers in the recovery position, and Darren Carter later called an ambulance.
However, the jury heard that during the 999 call, Darren Carter denied knowing what had happened.
Both defendants left the scene and returned home. Luke Carter later contacted police to admit his involvement.
In his 999 call, Luke Carter said a man had approached the group, initially acted in a friendly manner, but then became aggressive towards their heavily intoxicated friend, so they asked him to leave them alone.
The court heard that both men initially claimed responsibility for the fatal punch. Darren Carter later admitted he had lied in an attempt to protect his son.
Ms White said: “The Crown say that it was Darren Carter that turned up the heat and turned that altercation into something physical.”
Both men deny manslaughter. The trial continues.
Source – Daily Echo
