Consett man not guilty of murder, but still going to prison

A jury at Teesside Crown Court deliberated for only one hour yesterday, before unanimously acquitting 24-year-old Christopher Morgan.

Morgan, of Thornfield Road, Consett, County Durham, admitted the manslaughter of father-of-two Jonathan Gilbert at the start of the trial.

He will be sentenced on October 22 by Judge Simon Bourne-Arton after background reports have been prepared by probation officers.

His barrister, Jamie Hill, told the judge: “Mr Morgan appreciates that he is going to receive a sentence which will be measured in years.”

Morgan, an unemployed factory worker, let out an audible gasp of relief when the verdict was delivered to a packed court by the jury foreman.

During his five-day trial, he insisted that he did not intend to harm Mr Gilbert, and told the jury: “He was a good friend of mine.”

The court heard how Morgan punched, kicked and stamped on Mr Gilbert during an argument at his home in Crook, County Durham, on April 20.

The 43-year-old victim – who is known as Gilly – died in hospital from brain-bleed injuries ten days after being beaten unconscious in his lounge.

A dispute between the two men arose a week before the attack when Mr Gilbert is said to have called Morgan a halfbreed.

The court heard that Morgan’s stepfather, David Pinder, lived with Mr Gilbert in Sycamore Gardens and the two men were self-confessed alcoholics.

On the day of the attack, Morgan had travelled to Crook from Consett to drink with friends – one of whom was celebrating a birthday.

He told the court he had drunk cider, lager and vodka and taken amphetamine and mephedrone, and was “still out of it” when he was arrested the next day.

Mr Hill asked for a presentence report after telling Judge Bourne-Arton that Morgan was “very lightly convicted”.

He said Morgan had been in trouble for taking a car when he was 16 and, when he was 18, he appeared before magistrates for a public order offence.