Jury finds Kevin Griffiths not responsible for the death of Nick Padget

After seven hours of deliberations, an Old Bailey jury has found Kevin Griffiths not guilty of killing Nick Padget.

Griffiths, a bouncer at O'Neill's pub in Ealing, walked free from the court after he was cleared of being responsible for the death of the Chiswick man in July last year.

He had denied the charge of manslaughter claiming that he had acted in self defence on what was his first day in his new job.

During the trial, the court heard how Kevin Griffith, 30, punched Nicholas Padget, 27, in 'anger and frustration' after being called a 'jobsworth'.

Prosecuting council argued "Whatever Nick Padget did.... there was no need at all for this defendant to respond in self-defence like he did. He reacted in a flash of anger and frustration."

"What we do say when Mr Griffith struck out with that punch is that he did it in anger, not self-defence."

In his defence, Griffith told the court,"I was fearful, I had just been hit. He clearly attacked me and my first reaction was to defend myself. I was shocked he was on the floor because I didn't think I hit him that hard."

Mr Padget's family looked on in silence as the verdict was read out.

March 24, 2007