Court Hears Victim Urged Attacker to Stop Before Fatal Blow

A court has been informed that a man’s last words, uttered moments before he received a fatal punch outside a West Sussex pub, were directed at his assailant, urging him to “stop fighting.” David Hallatt, aged 57, succumbed to a blunt force head injury on June 20, following a fall during an assault that took place at The Dolphin and Anchor in Chichester. During a trial at Hove Crown Court, it was revealed that Mr. Hallatt, who resided in Sheffield, had been attempting to mediate a dispute between a “troublemaker friend” and other individuals. Kieran Egan, 30, from Birmingham, has confessed to the manslaughter of Mr. Hallatt, acknowledging that he delivered the punch to his face, but he has pleaded not guilty to murder. Dyce Barnfield, 31, also from Birmingham, faces a joint charge of murder and stands accused of aiding and abetting Mr. Egan. He, too, denies the charge of murder. The jury viewed CCTV recordings depicting the events preceding Mr. Hallatt’s demise, which showed Mr. Egan attempting to stamp on Mr. Hallatt’s friend before turning his attention to Mr. Hallatt and hitting him in the face. In his opening statement, prosecutor John Price KC stated: “Mr Hallatt died where he fell; he never recovered consciousness.” He further elaborated: “Following the blow that struck him in the face, the back of his head struck the ground with great force, fracturing his skull and causing massive damage to his brain.” Mr. Price KC also remarked: “Mr Hallatt did nothing wrong that night. He was a peacemaker.” He continued: “The last words he was overheard to say were addressed to the man who killed him, and only seconds before it happened.” According to testimony presented to the court, a patron at the pub overheard Mr. Hallatt addressing Mr. Egan, in reference to his friend, saying: “Stop fighting; he’s drunk. Please, please, he doesn’t mean it.” The proceedings of the trial are ongoing.