Murder accused admits punching victim

May 2 2008 by Chloe Griffiths, Liverpool Daily Post

A UNIVERSITY student accused of beating a man to death has admitted punching him three times in the face.

JMU building surveying student Simon Taylor is accused of attacking Sion Hardy after a night out in Liverpool city centre.

The 22-year-old, from Ashton-under-Lyne, denies both murder and manslaughter.

But yesterday Taylor told a jury at Liverpool Crown Court he punched Liverpool University civic design student Mr Hardy three times in the face after seeing him attack his friend Tom Canning.

The prosecution allege Mr Hardy, 24, of Bangor, North Wales, was an “innocent victim” of an attack on a friend by four men on November 15.

Only Taylor, of Wigan, and Kevin O’Dea, of Salford, have been charged.