A MAN who fled to Ireland to see his mother after killing a banker with one punch in an unprovoked assault has been cleared of murder.
Trevor Timon, 31, admitted to the manslaughter of Oliver Dearlove during a night out with friends in Blackheath, south-east London.
The blow knocked Mr Dearlove unconscious with the 30-year-old never regaining consciousness, dying 24 hours later in hospital.
Timon, who had a history of violence, alleged that he had been provoked to attack by a racist comment made by one of Mr Dearlove’s friends.
He will be sentenced on Friday after he admitted manslaughter but was found not guilty of murder after the jury deliberated for three hours.
Mr Dearlove with family. Picture: Met PoliceThe court heard that Mr Timon fled to his mother’s home in Ireland after the attack.
He later returned to Britain and handed himself in to police.
Mr Dearlove lived in New Eltham, south-east London and worked as a relationship manager at Duncan Lawrie Private Bank.
His mother Joy Wright and girlfriend Claire Wheatley were at the Old Bailey to see the man who killed him convicted.
An emotional Mrs Wright said: "The brutal and unnecessary killing of Oli has left a gaping hole in our family; Oliver was a quiet unassuming, modest boy who grew into a confident, friendly, non-confrontational young man.
"Oliver will never marry, have children, or indeed watch his nephews grow up.
"He has a nephew born on the 12th February, named Oliver after him, who he will never hold.”
She added: “He will never sit out on our table and eat with us, or laugh. I will never hug him or see him walk through my door again. We have been robbed, but more to the point, Oli has been robbed of an amazing and fulfilled future.
Investigating officer DCI Lee Watling said: "This is a tragic case where a young man has needlessly lost his life because of Timon's uncontrolled violence. There was no reason for him to attack Oliver that night.
"No length of prison sentence will end the suffering that Oliver's family and girlfriend have gone through, and continue to endure."
