Man found not guilty of murder after fatal punch outside Chichester pub

57-year-old David Hallatt died from blunt force head injury after falling when he was punched at the Dolphin and Anchor pub in Chichester on June 20.

His assailant, Kieran Egan, 30, of Baldmoor Lake Road in Birmingham, previously admitted manslaughter and appeared in Hove Crown Court yesterday (January 7), charged with murder – which he denied.

He is being held in custody after a jury found him not guilty, and will be sentenced at a later date.

A second defendant, Dyce Barnfield, 31, from Birmingham, is set to be released after he was found not guilty of murder.

David Hallatt’s wife Sadie and two daughters, Rosie and Sally, said "he lived for his family, and he loved his work as a tiler travelling the country. He played the electric guitar, and was an avid football and rock music fan.”

A Sussex Police spokesperson said David had been enjoying an evening at The Dolphin and Anchor with work colleagues when he was assaulted by a man not known to him. Egan and Barnfield were also both at the pub and things became heated following the ejection of a man known to David who had become violent towards door staff.

Things erupted at around 11pm, with several people involved in an altercation just outside the pub, a spokesperson said.

At the conclusion of the incident, Egan punched David, who was an innocent bystander trying to calm others, with ‘extreme force’, according to police. Despite the best efforts of paramedics and police, who attempted CPR, David was pronounced dead at the scene.

Egan was arrested at the scene and later charged with murder, while Barnfield was arrested on suspicion of affray when he handed himself in to police on July 1 2024.

The court heard he was involved in the altercation, alongside Egan and was later charged with murder given his actions had been seen to encourage those of Egan.

In a statement, David’s family said: “We are disappointed with the verdicts, particularly in respect of Egan given the level of violence he displayed throughout the incident.

“However, we would like to personally thank the investigation team, the Senior Investigating Officer and the two Family Liaison Officers who are been there throughout. The police dog handler who was quickly on scene and managed to secure the suspects before they fled and to all the staff and witnesses that came forward to assist with enquiries.

“Our thanks also goes to the police officers and paramedics who fought to try and save David’s life. We thank you all.”

Case Officer Detective Constable Elliott Lander, of the Major Crime Unit said: “Our thoughts remain with the family and loved ones of David, who has lost his life in such tragic circumstances.

“A life has been cut short following what should have been an enjoyable evening at the pub. The behaviour displayed by Egan was totally unacceptable and ultimately cost a life.

“David was brazenly attacked and had no chance to defend himself. Egan will rightly now have to live with the devastating consequences of his actions.

“This was an extremely complex investigation with a lot of moving parts but ultimately the family will hopefully have some closure. We investigated immediately, with some good fortune an officer was close to the scene at the time of the offence, and so arrested Egan within a minute of the punch.

“I would like to thank everyone involved in the investigation.”