A MAN from Wybunbury has been found guilty of the manslaughter of a businessman following a retrial.

Samuel Thorpe, 26, of Annions Lane was found guilty of the manslaughter of Adam Lovatt today (Friday) after a 10-day trial at Liverpool Crown Court. He is due to be sentenced on November 26.

Co-defendant, Nicolas Hill, 37, of Moorsfield Avenue, Audlem was found not guilty of manslaughter but had already pleaded guilty to assisting an offender at an earlier hearing and he will also be sentenced on November 26.

The incident happened in the early hours of May 25, 2018 outside the Bridge Inn on Shropshire Street in Audlem.

Mr Lovatt had spent the evening celebrating his 45th birthday with his wife at the Lord Combermere pub and went to the Shroppie Fly, on Audlem Wharf, while his wife went home.

At the pub another man in the bar tried to assault him before pub-goers intervened. He left the pub but was pursued by Thorpe and Hill.

Thorpe confronted Mr Lovatt outside the Bridge Inn, punching him once to the face. He fell backwards, striking his head on the ground suffering two skull fractures and a large bleed on the brain. He passed away later that day.

As a passing motorist pulled up to check on Mr Lovatt's welfare, Thorpe ran away and went back to the Shroppie Fly. The motorist called an ambulance and drinkers at the pub came out and tried to help the victim.

But in an attempt to evade police attention, Thorpe and Hill drove away from the scene through quiet country lanes to Market Drayton where they bought lager before they went back to Hill's house.

There they agreed on a cover story and both made attempts to distance themselves from what occurred.

The next day Thorpe threw his phone away and left the area to stay in a guest house in North Wales overnight, but returned when police visited his parents' address in order to arrest him.

Detectives from Cheshire Constabulary's Major Investigation Team launched an investigation following Adam's death and the pair were subsequently arrested two days later.

Det. Insp Adam Waller, who led the investigation into the death, said: "Adam's life was tragically cut short with just one punch. It's a stark reminder to people that that the decision to strike out at someone in anger could change lives instantly.

"Adam's family are grieving and trying to come to terms with life without a loved one and other families will have to come to terms with their loved ones having been convicted and facing the prospect of time behind bars – all because of one punch on a night out.

"Adam was callously left lying fatally injured in the road until a passing motorist summonsed professional medical help. Neither Thorpe or Hill made any attempts to look after anyone else but themselves in making their escape and attempting to cover their tracks.

"The attempts to besmirch Adam's character throughout the trial have been distressing for Adam's family to have had to bear witness to, and thankfully have had no bearing on the outcome."