A TEENAGER on trial for manslaughter has described feeling “scared” before punching a 62-year-old cyclist, who suffered a bleed to the brain and later died of his injuries.
The 17-year-old, who cannot be named due to his age, has gone on trial at the Royal Court this week. He denies manslaughter.
Jurors retired to consider their verdicts at about 1pm.
The alleged victim, Roy Bester, visited a corner shop and was cycling away when he got into an argument with the defendant.
Mr Bester threw the first punch, the court heard on Monday.
The defendant punched him in the face – with Crown Advocate Lauren Hallam, prosecuting, arguing that the force used was not reasonable.
The punch caused multiple facial fractures and a bleed to the brain, which eventually killed Mr Bester.
A statement the defendant gave during a police interview was read out at the trial yesterday.
In the statement, the youth described how he was driving his friend’s car, with the vehicle’s owner and another friend as passengers.
He said: “There was a cyclist in front of me. He was travelling incredibly slowly on his bike.
“I gave him a honk. He did not appear to hear this so I honked again.”
He said Mr Bester gave him the middle finger and said something. Though the defendant could not hear clearly, he said “it sounded aggressive”.
The defendant said he then got out of the car and Mr Bester asked if he wanted to fight.
“I repeatedly asked him to move away from me.
“He grabbed my arm as if he wanted to grab hold of me.
“I was scared of him and scared of the situation and what could happen.”
The defendant then described how Mr Bester punched him in the face, and how Mr Bester asked the teenager if he thought he could take him on in a fight.
“He continued to walk towards me and he was right in my face again,” the youth said.
The defendant described punching Mr Bester and seeing him fall to the ground.
Two of the passengers in the car appeared as witnesses on Monday, describing how Mr Bester was cycling slowly in front of them, and eventually became “violent and aggressive”, swearing at them.
The jury listened to a 999 call and was shown CCTV footage, in which Mr Bester could be seen arguing with the defendant and falling to the ground following the punch.
The defendant and one of his friends were then shown leaving the scene.
Forensic pathologist Amanda Jeffery said that when the victim was brought to hospital, where he became less conscious and was put into an induced coma.
Mr Bester was transported to Southampton and then back to Jersey, but his neurological condition did not get any better, the court heard.
He fell ill with pneumonia, which Dr Jeffery described as a normal occurrence in patients in a coma with significant brain injuries, and was taken off life support on 22 March 2023. His cause of death was his brain injury.
Deputy Bailiff Robert MacRae is presiding.
