A man has been convicted of killing his 74-year-old neighbour following a row over a gate.
Trevor Gocan, 57, was found guilty by a jury of manslaughter over the killing of Jim O’Neill in Covent Garden, central London, last year.
Emergency services were called to the scene around midday on Sunday, 6 October, following reports that a man had been assaulted.
Police said Gocan punched and kicked his victim in full view of members of the public – among them children – on “a busy Sunday morning”.
Gocan then fled to his nearby home, where he was arrested.
Mr O’Neill was found with multiple injuries and taken to hospital, where doctors identified a bleed on his brain.
He died in hospital two weeks later on Monday, 21 October.
James O’Neill.
Pic: Met Police
A post-mortem examination found that he died as a result of complications from a traumatic brain and rib injuries sustained in the assault.
Gocan told the jury at Southwark Crown Court that he acted in self-defence when he attacked Mr O’Neill following a row over a gate.
Metropolitan Police Detective Chief Inspector Wayne Jolley, from Specialist Crime South – who led the investigation – said: “Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Mr O’Neill, who lost a loved one in shocking circumstances.
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“The killer acted disgracefully, punching and kicking his victim in full view of members of the public – among them children – on a busy Sunday morning.
“The jury’s verdict shows that casual, thuggish violence will not be tolerated on London’s streets. There was absolutely no excuse for Gocan’s conduct.”
Gocan is due to be sentenced at Southwark Crown Court on Thursday, 26 June. He has been remanded in custody.
