Fatal one-punch attack accused '˜acted in self-defence'

A Belfast man accused of killing a 22-year old in a '˜one-punch' incident told police he and the deceased had 'a wee drunken scrap' and claimed he acted in self-defence, a court heard on Tuesday.
By The Newsroom
Published 29th May 2018, 16:48 BST
Updated 19th Jun 2018, 18:07 BST
PACEMAKER BELFAST 19/02/2017 The death of a man who sustained a head injury during a night out in Belfast is now being treated as murder, police have said. 22-year-old Conan Anderson, from the Short Strand area of Belfast, was hurt on Arthur Lane in the early hours of Monday 6 February. He was admitted to hospital later that dayPACEMAKER BELFAST 19/02/2017 The death of a man who sustained a head injury during a night out in Belfast is now being treated as murder, police have said. 22-year-old Conan Anderson, from the Short Strand area of Belfast, was hurt on Arthur Lane in the early hours of Monday 6 February. He was admitted to hospital later that day
PACEMAKER BELFAST 19/02/2017 The death of a man who sustained a head injury during a night out in Belfast is now being treated as murder, police have said. 22-year-old Conan Anderson, from the Short Strand area of Belfast, was hurt on Arthur Lane in the early hours of Monday 6 February. He was admitted to hospital later that day

Lawrence Dowie (28) is standing trial at Belfast Crown Court, accused of unlawfully killing Short Strand man Conan Anderson, who died two weeks after an altercation in the city centre.

Dowie, whose north Belfast address cannot be disclosed, has admitted punching Mr Anderson in Arthur’s Lane, but said he was acting in self-defence.

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Crown prosecutor Richard Weir QC said Mr Anderson died from “severe and substantial” head injuries he sustained from falling backwards and hitting his head after being punched by Dowie.

Mr Weir also said after the two men argued in the street. Dowie claimed that after he called Mr Anderson ‘Gandalf’, the deceased “snapped” and swung punches, but he stepped back and struck out once.

Mr Weir said that on the afternoon and evening of Sunday, February 5 last year, Mr Anderson socialised at a number of venues in Belfast.

At around 6pm he returned home briefly, with Mr Weir saying that at this stage “his mother said that he had been drinking but was not drunk”.

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Mr Anderson headed back out, and ended up at Thompson’s Garage. He left around 3am the following morning, and joined a group who continued to party in the storeroom of another venue. During this partying, Dowie had been performing tricks with his lighter, with all those present leaving the premises at 5.30am and ending up on Arthur’s Lane.

Whilst on the street, the prosecutor said the accused and the deceased “squared up to each other” with the initial contact involving “their heads coming together.” Revealing what followed was “a headbutt by Conan Anderson on Lawrence Dowie”, Mr Weir said Dowie took his coat off then Mr Anderson threw punches towards Dowie, which Dowie avoided by stepping away.

It is the Crown’s case that when Mr Anderson dropped his fist, he was punched on the chin by Dowie, which caused him to fall backwards and hit the back of his head. Mr Weir said Mr Anderson was unconscious for a short time before coming round.

An ambulance was called but Mr Anderson declined assistance from paramedics.

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Mr Anderson’s mother caught a glimpse of her son at around 7.40am on February 6, and as the day progressed she became increasingly concerned about her son’s “erratic behaviour and appearance”.

An ambulance was called later that day, and despite expert medical intervention, Mr Anderson died from head injuries on February 18, 2017.

Mr Weir said Dowie was initially arrested on February 9, and made an unsolicited comment to an officer, saying “he tried to headbutt me. It was a fair dig. I hit him once and he got up and ran away”.

He was interviewed again following Mr Anderson’s death.

The accused claimed that throughout, he acted in self-defence, a claim rejected by the Crown.

Mr Weir said the prosecution’s case was that “the accused was not defending himself when he struck that fatal blow”.

At hearing.

Related topics:Belfast