A MAN accused of manslaughter launched a punch as a “pre-emptive strike”, flooring a father who had just picked his wife up from the ground, a court heard.

Brodie Groome, 27, launched a punch after a confrontation between two groups in Vineyard Street car park, in Colchester, in August last year.

Steven Warburton, 46, was struck and fell to the ground, suffering a fractured skull when his head hit the floor.

He died weeks later in hospital.

Groome told a jury at Ipswich Crown Court he threw a punch at Mr Warburton after he took up an aggressive stance, “dropping his shoulder” towards him.

Under cross examination by prosecutor Nicola May, he said Mr Warburton moved to pick his wife up from the floor, before turning to him. He said Mr Warburton was “gritting his teeth”.

Describing the punch, Groome said: “He was definitely meant to feel the punch, it was meant to have some effect, otherwise I wouldn’t have done it.”

Ms May said: “But a small tap wasn’t going to cut the mustard was it? You wanted to incapacitate him, didn’t you?”

Groome responded: “I wanted to stop him, yeah, that’s what a pre-emptive strike is.

“I didn’t want to hurt him, I wanted to stop him.

“I hit him in self defence because I thought he was going for me.”

Groome and the jury were played shaky mobile phone footage of the altercation, showing the moment Mr Warburton was struck.

Addressing the footage, Ms May said: “You hit him while he was in the process of getting his wife to her feet, didn’t you?”

Groome responded: “That’s not what I saw.”

Ms May suggested the footage showed Groome approaching Mr Warburton and striking him, adding: “You decided to involve yourself.

“You could have simply walked back, couldn’t you?”

Groome said: “Maybe, perhaps – you tell me when you’re in the middle of it.”

Groome, of Sydney Street, Brightlingsea, denies manslaughter.

  • The trial continues.