Man found guilty of killing his dad in pub garden
Family handoutA man who pushed over and killed his newly-discovered father in a pub garden on Christmas Eve has been found guilty of manslaughter.
Martin Greensmith, 37, only learnt Steven Shevels, 61, was his biological father shortly before their encounter behind The Queen's Head in Willington, County Durham, on 24 December, Teesside Crown Court heard.
Greensmith said he only "gently" pushed Shevels after the victim "intimidated" him, but prosecutors maintained he had caused his death during a fit of anger.
The defendant, who told jurors he was "very remorseful" and wanted to apologise to the victim's family, will be sentenced on 21 October.
Judge Jonathan Carroll remanded Greensmith into custody on the grounds of the "likely sentence" that would be imposed.
Jurors reached their verdict after almost six hours of deliberation, with 10 of the cohort of 12 finding him guilty.
Speaking after the verdict, Shevels' sister, Angela, said her brother was "the victim of an unprovoked act of violence that took his life far too soon".
His death had "left a hole in all our hearts" and a "future forever changed for all of his family, friends, and everyone who knew him", she added.
Durham PoliceJurors had heard how the Greensmith family had gone to The Queen's Head on the afternoon of 24 December, where Shevels was also drinking.
Greensmith told the court, although he knew his father was a man called Steven Shevels, it was not until his family were in the pub on Christmas Eve that his mother identified him.
Shevels, who the court heard was known in the town of Crook to be a nuisance when drunk, annoyed the Greensmith family by sitting nearby and trying to talk to them.
Greensmith said he went outside to get away from Shevels, but a few minutes later the victim also went out into the beer garden, having been asked to leave the pub, the jury heard.
The defendant told jurors he went to walk past Shevels, but the victim put his arm out to block him, and the pair exchanged a few short sentences, culminating with Greensmith telling the other man "something along the lines of 'you're my dad, I don't want to know you'".
He said Shevels moved closer to him, causing the accused to "gently" push the victim back to create space between them.
Greensmith said he was stunned to see Shevels fall over and was one of a number of people who tried to help up the stricken victim as he lay unconscious on the ground.
Despite the best efforts of those in the pub, including Greensmith's mother and paramedics, Shevels was pronounced dead at the scene about an hour later.
A pathologist told jurors he was killed by a blunt force trauma to the head, with a concussion causing him to lose consciousness and his alcohol consumption limiting his ability to keep breathing.
Greensmith left the pub before the emergency services attended, but handed himself into police at the home he shared with his mother at lunchtime on Christmas Day.
Before being arrested, Greensmith had made online searches for a lawyer and looked at a page with information on "involuntary manslaughter", the court heard.
Det Ch Insp Alfie Keane, of Durham Police, said it was a "truly devastating case".
"It shows how split-second decisions can have life-long consequences and an unimaginable impact on everyone around them," he said.
