Moment BBC director pushes man before he hits his head and dies in pub argument
A BBC television director was today cleared of killing a retired grammar school teacher in a row over Welsh independence.
Hywel Williams, 40, pushed grandfather Peter Ormerod, 75, in the street after the pair exchanged angry words in a pub last September. CCTV shown to the jury captured the moment Williams placed his hands on Mr Ormerod moments after they left the pub.
But he was found not guilty of manslaughter by a jury at Swansea Crown Court after saying he was acting in self-defence when Mr Ormerod lunged at him.
The court heard the respected teacher hit his head on the ground - and died four days later in hospital from severe head injuries.
Television director Hywel Williams, 40, was filmed on CCTV heavily pushing grandfather Peter Ormerod, 75 in the street after the pair had cross words in a pub (WALES NEWS SERVICE)Williams, who spent 16 years working on popular S4C Welsh-language soap opera Pobl y Cwm, argued with Mr Ormerod over Welsh independence in a pub in Burry Port, West Wales. The pair had never met before.
Baby boy has spent his life in hospital as doctors are 'scared' to discharge him
Another clip shown to the jury at Swansea Crown Court showed the two men inside the Portabello pub in Burry Port engaged in an animated conversation - with Williams angrily jabbing his finger at his victim.
Williams pushed ex-maths teacher Mr Ormerod to the floor outside. A court heard the two men "had opposing views" on whether Wales should be independent from the British state before they left the pub at around the same time and clashed outside.
Williams told his manslaughter trial that he was fed up with the row over Welsh politics which angered Mr Ormerod.
Williams and Ormerod had rowed about Welsh independence (WALES NEWS SERVICE)He said he told Mr Ormerod: "I don't have time for this mate… I don't want any of this."
Williams said Mr Ormerod replied: "Don't you ever speak to me like that again. How dare you speak to me like that."
Williams said the two men swore at each other before he pushed Mr Ormerod to the floor in self-defence.
He said "I felt scared and pushed him."
Retired teacher Ormerod died in hospital (WALES NEWS SERVICE)He said he hadn't meant to hurt Mr Ormerod, but just to push him away.
"I thought he was going to get back up," he said.
Mr Williams dialled 999 and tried to seek medical assistance and admitted pushing the older man to police.
Disabled woman paralysed after falling from wheelchair on plane walkway dies
"I did everything I could to help him," he told the court.
Mr Ormerod died in hospital four days later on September 28 last year having suffered traumatic head and brain injuries.
The incident took place at a pub in Burry Port in Wales (Google Street View)Prosecutor Ian Wright KC told how the row flared when Mr Ormerod and Williams were drinking in the Portobello in Burry Port.
CCTV from inside the pub showed the two men in animated conversation before they left the pub separately.
Mr Wright said: "During the course of that Saturday evening they were seated, at one point, in close proximity to each other.
"The conversation between them the table turned to Welsh independence and Welsh politics generally.
"Peter Ormerod and Hywel Williams had opposing views on these topics and expressed these opposing views - and there was something of a disagreement between them in terms of the views being expressed."
Ormerod hit his head on the ground (WALES NEWS SERVICE)Swansea Crown Court heard Williams left the pub to go and check his phone with Mr Ormerod "at around the same time" when he walked out with the defendant's mother.
Mr Wright said there was CCTV of the two men coming together outside a coffee shop a short distance from the pub before Williams allegedly pushed the older man to the floor.
"The two men appear on the CCTV to move towards each other before Hywel Williams pushes Peter Ormerod to the chest.
"That push caused Peter Ormerod to fall backwards on the back of his head.
"Having hit the ground, having hit his head on the ground, Peter Ormerod did not move again."
The case was heard at Swansea Crown Court (Media Wales)Mr Wright said Williams phone and ambulance and remained at the scene until he was arrested by police over the alleged attack.
Williams, of Grangetown, Cardiff, denied manslaughter saying he acted in self defence.
In a tribute following widower Mr Ormerod's death, his family said: “Peter was a well-respected teacher and member of the community a very loved and loving father, grandfather, brother and friend."
Mr Ormerod previously taught at Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School for Boys in Carmarthen, and at the Welsh language school Ysgol Bro Myrddin.
Judge Paul Thomas KC told Williams he was free to leave the court. He described it as a "terribly, terribly sad case" and offered his condolences to the family of Mr Ormerod.
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
