Man jailed over Weymouth stair-push manslaughter death
A man has been jailed for manslaughter after pushing a man down a flight of stairs, causing a fatal head injury.
Mark Bosworth, 48, shoved David Thompson, 32, during an argument in a shared house in Weymouth, Dorset, in April last year. Mr Thompson died in hospital the next day. Bosworth was convicted of his manslaughter following a retrial at Winchester Crown Court and jailed for six years. Dorset Police said a group of visitors and residents had been drinking at the house on Saturday 4 April last year - during the first coronavirus lockdown. 'Devastating consequences' Officers said an altercation occurred involving Mr Thompson and a woman at the property, who was reportedly assaulted. One of the group contacted the property owner to say there were people inside who should not be there. Shortly after 16:00 BST, Mr Thompson went upstairs and was involved in a confrontation with Bosworth. The owner of the property witnessed the assault on CCTV and called the emergency services. Mr Thompson was found unresponsive in the courtyard below. Police said, during interview, Bosworth admitted to pushing the victim down the stairs, but said he had not intended to cause him lasting injuries. He told officers that alcohol possibly clouded his judgement and he may have exerted too much force. A post-mortem examination found Mr Thompson died of a head injury. Det Insp Wayne Seymour said: "This case demonstrates that any level of violence can lead to devastating consequences. "I hope the verdict of the jury will bring some sense of closure for Mr Thomson's family and friends during what has been an extremely difficult time." Follow BBC South on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to south.newsonline@bbc.co.uk. Related Internet Links HM Courts & Tribunals Service