Christopher Sergiou

Christopher Sergiou was attacked at Legends Night Club in Church Street, Luton on 9 June 1998 and died five days later.

Three men were tried for his manslaughter but acquitted.

One of the men admitted to having punched Christopher Sergiou in the head, causing him to fall and hit his head, but claimed that he had done so in self-defence. However, Christopher Sergiou was also assaulted whilst he was on the ground, with one man kicking him in the groin.

Christopher Sergiou had been a first year student at Luton University. He had been out to Legends nightclub on 3 June 1998 along with other undergraduates to celebrate the end of year exams. Some people were ejected when trouble started, but the trouble flared up again in a garden area outside.

One of the men tried admitted having stamped on Christopher Sergiou's groin and to have later boasted to girlfriends that Christopher Sergiou 'won't be having sex for a while'.  The judge later commented:

The man was seen leaving the club with a beer bottle down the back of his trousers and to have then drawn the attention of another man who punched Christopher Sergiou in the head, felling him like a tree. However, it was noted that the bottle was not thrown or used and ended up broken on the ground.

The man, although cleared of manslaughter, was convicted of affray.

The man that had punched Christopher Sergiou in the head admitted it, but said that he only punched him once, and, 'not very hard'. It was said that when Christopher Sergiou fell, he hit his head on the road.

Christopher Sergiou died five days after the assault on him at the club from brain injuries. A Home Office pathologist said that Christopher Sergiou died as a direct consequence of a severe head injury. He said:

He added that for the injury to have been caused by the punch that it would have had to have been thrown with 'full force', adding, 'This is punching as hard as you can'.

The man that had punched Christopher Sergiou had been days away from finishing a sports and fitness degree course.

He admitted that he had unwisely followed Christopher Sergiou out of the club, but noted that Christopher Sergiou had head-butted him for no apparent reason other than a slight bump on the dancefloor.

The man added that there had been a previous incident in another nightclub some months before when a friend of his had drunkenly pinched Christopher Sergiou's girlfriend's bottom, which led to them all being thrown out.

He said that when he had followed Christopher Sergiou out of the club he had only intended to ask Christopher Sergiou what it was all about, but said that Christopher Sergiou had been with some friends and they were shouting something at them.

He said:

He said that he followed Christopher Sergiou again, noting that that was the second time he had been hit and he didn't know why. He then said:

The man that punched Christopher Sergiou denied manslaughter, but pleaded guilty to affray.

The third man tried pleaded not guilty to both manslaughter and affray.

All three men were acquitted of manslaughter.

It’s not clear where Legends was, but it is thought to have been in John Street opposite St Johns flats and to have since been demolished, the location now being used as a surface car park.