Accused Christmas pub killer searched for lawyer

A man accused of fatally pushing his alleged father over in a pub beer garden on Christmas Eve made repeated searches for a lawyer before handing himself in, a jury has heard.

Martin Greensmith, 37, admits shoving Steven Shevels, 61, behind The Queen's Head in Willington, County Durham, on 24 December, but denies his manslaughter, Teesside Crown Court heard.

The following day and knowing police wanted to arrest him, Greensmith messaged his mother saying his "life was a shambles now all because of a push".

The court heard Shevels was known to be a "nuisance" when drunk in pubs but was never seen to be violent.

A jury previously heard Greensmith had reportedly been told Shevels was his biological father shortly before the fatal encounter.

A barman at the pub said Shevels was seen annoying the Greensmith family in the lounge which led to him being asked to leave, which he did.

At about 16:40 GMT, Greensmith and Shevels had a conversation in the beer garden which culminated with the accused pushing the victim, who fell and struck his head on the ground.

A forensic pathologist said Shevels died from a blunt head injury as a result of the push.

The court heard Greensmith was one of several people who tried to revive Shevels, but he left the pub shortly before emergency services arrived.

Durham Police officers went to the Willington home he shared with his mother twice on the evening of Christmas Eve to arrest him, but he was not there, the court heard.

The following morning Greensmith was messaging his mother, the court heard, who urged him to hand himself in.

He said he had not meant to harm Shevels and had "only pushed him", adding the victim had "tried to intimidate" him.

"I really am worried and don't want to go to jail," Greensmith said, adding : "I really wish this wasn't happening to me."

He said: "I couldn't believe my eyes when he fell, I didn't except him to fall at all."

In the messages, he told his mother he "did not take off to run away" but rather because he thought Shevels "was going to pull round and end up being OK", adding: "I didn't want to be around him no more."

Greensmith also said he wanted to contact a solicitor before going to the police station as he did not want to be "sat in a cell" waiting for one on Christmas Day or be "locked up" on remand awaiting his court appearances.

"My life is a shambles now, all because of a push," Greensmith said.

Detectives also sent text messages saying they were at the defendant's mother's home and could arrange for him to be collected in an unmarked police car and be provided with a solicitor.

He told the detective: "I'm just really worried about the outcome, I'm not a violent person, I just felt intimated and pushed him to get away from me.

"This is all a mess and I'm proper devastated about it all."

He arrived home at midday on Christmas Day and was arrested, the court heard.

Greensmith was interviewed twice but replied no comment to all questions on both occasions, the court heard.

Later examination of his mobile phone also revealed he spent an hour searching online for solicitors, messaging one via Facebook to ask if they were "available", and looked at a page about "involuntary manslaughter", including what it was and the sentencing guidelines for it.

Jurors also heard from several landlords and bar workers in Crook, Shevels' home town.

He had been barred from one pub and had a four pint limit imposed at another, the court heard, due to the "nuisance" he caused staff and other patrons when he was drunk.

They said he was "loud and leery" and would ramble incessantly to people, making "outlandish" claims, such as being the son of Frank Sinatra and previously married to Debbie Harry.

When asked to leave he could become verbally abusive, but none of the staff said they had ever seen him being violent or even threatening violence, the court heard.

One said he was "harmless", while another said he was "character" although he could be a "nightmare" due to his behaviour.

The trial continues.

Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.