Trevor Timon: Man who killed banker Oliver Dearlove with one punch cleared of murder

A unemployed man who admitted the the one-punch manslaughter of banker Oliver Dearlove has been cleared of his murder.

Plasterer Trevor Timon, 31, delivered a "powerful" left hook to Oliver Dearlove's head, knocking him unconscious, a court heard.

The defendant, who had a history of violence, denied intending to seriously hurt the 30-year-old and said he was just "p***** off" at one of his friends for making a racist comment.

Timon, of Plumstead, south-east London, admitted manslaughter but was cleared of murder after a jury deliberated for three hours.

Mr Dearlove, of New Eltham, worked as a relationship manager at Duncan Lawrie Private Bank having previously held a position at Coutts, the bank used by the Queen.

On August 27 last year, he had been eating and drinking with old Portsmouth University friends in Blackheath, south-east London.

At about half past midnight, they left Zerodegrees microbrewery and walked past Mordens nightclub where Timon had bought champagne for a group of women at a birthday party.

Timon and the women walked along Tranquil Vale to get a cab home when they came across Mr Dearlove and two friends.

The court heard different accounts from Timon, the four women and Mr Dearlove's friends on how the violence erupted.

Mr Dearlove's friend Andrew Cook said Timon was angry and came out of nowhere with "bad intentions".

He said: "He was looking for a fight. Not a nice guy. We didn't know why, it all happened so quickly."

Giving evidence, Timon admitted telling the victim "'if you don't get out of my face I will knock you out" but said it was just a "figure of speech".

The defendant, who is mixed race, said he was upset when one of the victim's friends laughed and called him a "half chap".

Afterwards, Timon fled to Ireland to see his mother and sent a series of messages to a close female friend apologising for what happened before handing himself in to police.

He told the witness, who cannot be identified, that he had "mad love" for her, saying: "I'm scared, seriously, proper.

"I never ever meant to do it ... I'm sorry really from the bottom of my heart."

Sentencing was adjourned until Friday morning.