Juris Butans

Juris Butans was found with head injuries following an argument with a car driver and later died.

A 46-year-old man was tried for his manslaughter but acquitted.

Juris Butans was found in Drayton Park, Holloway near the junction with Benwell Road, close to the Emirates Stadium by the police at about 10.30pm on 4 July 2015. He was taken to the Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead, but later died there on 15 November 2015.

Following him being found, a 46-year-old man was charged with grievous bodily harm, but following Juris Butans's death, he was charged with manslaughter. It was said that Juris Butans had hit the 46-year-old man's car and that the 46-year-old man had then pushed Juris Butans causing him to fall and hit his head.

Juris Butans's post-mortem gave his cause of death as blunt force trauma to the head.

It was heard that the 46-year-old man that was tried for Juris Butans's manslaughter had been driving his Mercedes car along Drayton Park Road and had started shouting at other cars that were jumping a queue of traffic.

However, it was said that Juris Butans thought that the 46-year-old man was shouting at him and his girlfriend and went over to the Mercedes car and hit its bumper.

It was then claimed at the trial that the 46-year-old man had got out and thrown Juris Butans to the ground, causing him to hit his head and suffer a massive brain injury. However, the 46-year-old man denied trying to hurt Juris Butans and said that he was just trying to move him away from his car.

The court also heard that Juris Butans was an alcoholic and suffered from poor health, and the defence said that the fall was not the actual cause of his death.

At a trial at the Old Bailey, on 21 October 2016, the 46-year-old man was acquitted at the direction of the judge because of lack of evidence.