Joseph Macari

Joseph Macari died after he was punched outside the Samson kebab takeaway in Kennington Lane.

Joseph Macari had been involved in a brawl outside the kebab shop in Kennington on 2 November 2003 and hit his head on the pavement when he fell. He was injured and taken to St Thomas's Hospital.

He was taken to hospital but died the next day, 3 November 2003, when his life support system was switched off. He had a fractured skull and had suffered from brain damage.

He had sustained brain damage after falling backwards in a brawl and hitting his head.

Joseph Macari had been on a pub crawl across London with some friends from Swansea where he was from.

The man that was said to have hit him had been out for a schoolfriend's 21st birthday party and had been to the Finca tapas bar in Kennington.

They met up around 1am at the Samson kebab shop in Kennington Lane where the man tried had a row with one of Joseph Macari's friends. The row went outside where Joseph Macari's friend was knocked down and a general brawl involving over twelve people from local bars and pubs started during which Joseph Macari was punched and fell back. He was said to have fallen back in a cartoon style, backwards, with no attempt to break his fall.

A man was tried twice for his manslaughter but acquitted. At his first trial, there had been a hung jury and because the jury were unable to reach a verdict at the second trial the judge told the jury 'I think I have no option but to discharge you from returning a verdict in this case. A jury in a similar position to you came to a similar position. You should feel you haven't let anybody down. It happens. It is a difficult case.'. He then directed a verdict of not guilty to be entered and the man was discharged.

A policeman said that he had seen the man throw a punch at Joseph Macari and had arrested him immediately after.

The man tried for his manslaughter said that he didn't remember hitting Joseph Macari and denied being responsible for him hitting his head on the pavement.

He said that he had been sitting on the kerb with his girlfriend when he had been kicked in the face during the fight and said that when he was arrested he had no idea about what he was supposed to have done.

Joseph Macari had been a trainee policeman and also the cousin of a famous Manchester United football player.