TWO men face lengthy prison sentences after a father-of two was fatally injured in a fight following a family party.

A third suspect arrested after Robert Aunger was beaten in the street near his Tees Crescent home in Spennymoor, County Durham, walked free from court yesterday after the case against him was dropped.

The dramatic developments came on what was supposed to be the first day of a threeweek murder trial at Teesside Crown Court.

Prosecutor Mark Giuliani said the pleas to manslaughter by David Hughes and Dean Blenkinsopp were acceptable to the Crown.

He also formally dropped the case against Gareth Horner after a review found there was insufficient evidence against him.

The three were arrested after Mr Aunger died after a beating close to his home in the early hours of July 15 last year.

The 45-year-old helped host a family party to celebrate the 19th birthday of his partner’s daughter, Kelly Blenkinsopp, on July 15.

After an argument, during which he is alleged to have struck his girlfriend Karen Davies, Mr Aunger stormed outside.

Kelly’s brother, Dean Blenkinsopp, 20, heard the downstairs bust-up and got out of bed to see what had happened.

He followed him into the street where there was a confrontation, and Blenkinsopp says Mr Aunger swung at him.

The pair wrestled and Blenkinsopp repeatedly punched Mr Aunger before he fell to the ground – possibly unconscious.

While the attack was going on, 29-year-old Hughes – Blenkinsopp’s cousin – intervened in an attempt to stop it, the court heard.

But while Mr Aunger was on the ground, Hughes kicked him, before realising he was unconscious, and then sought help.

The victim, who was the father of two young daughters, was carried back into the house, seemingly gravely ill, while paramedics and the police were called.

Mr Aunger suffered a heart attack in his home, but was revived, and had another cardiac arrest on his way to hospital.

At The University Hospital of North Durham, scans revealed he had suffered a brain haemorrhage and he died in the afternoon without regaining consciousness.

Blenkinsopp, of Tees Crescent, Spennymoor, admitted manslaughter, but denied murder at a court hearing last October. The plea was not accepted by prosecutors at the time, but it was accepted yesterday after consultation with the victim’s family.

Hughes, of Lilburn Crescent, Newton Aycliffe, entered his plea to manslaughter at yesterday’s hearing.

Mr Horner, 24, of Linden Place, Newton Aycliffe, denied murder, and a formal not guilty verdict was entered by the court yesterday.

Martin Bethel, for Blenkinsopp, asked Judge Peter Fox to adjourn the case for the preparation of a pre-sentence report.

“He has, perhaps, one conviction which may have minor relevance, at the age of 15,” Mr Bethel told the judge.

Jamie Hill, for Hughes, did By Neil Hunter neil.hunter@nne.co.uk not apply for background reports, and accepted his client faced a prison sentence.

“He does have a string of previous convictions, albeit mostly before the magistrates’ court and in more recent times mostly for drink-related offences,” Mr Hill said.

Judge Fox adjourned the case until January 20, and remanded the pair in custody at Holme House Prison, Stockton, until then.