A MAN accused of kicking to death a father-of-three who believed he was vandalising a pub was yesterday cleared of manslaughter.

Paul Lewis, 22, had been charged with killing Robert Hall after the family man was knocked down during a scuffle in which another man, Stephen McKay, was also allegedly involved.

A court was told Mr Hall was floored with a single punch outside the Lake Huron pub at Haylands, Ryde, and lay motionless after being kicked in the head by Lewis.

The keen sportsman and highly-skilled laminator never regained consciousness and died nine days later with his distraught family at his bedside.

But Winchester Crown Court heard that cousins Lewis and McKay had drunk heavily intending to go out and steal car parts - not start a fight.

Lewis told the court they had wanted to steal an exhaust pipe to sell and had been throwing pebbles at each other, only hitting the pub accidentally. He denied making plans with McKay to fight occupants of the pub or making threats towards anyone there.

Lewis also told the jury he had no idea why he had told police at the time of his arrest he had felt he "could take on the world".

He said: "When people came out of the pub I felt angry and frightened. There was a lot of adrenaline. I did not go looking for a fight."

During the trial the court heard that Mr Hall confronted Lewis and McKay after believing the pair were wrecking the Huron pub.

But, after confronting the men, he was allegedly punched by McKay, knocking him to the ground.

As he lay motionless it was claimed he was kicked in the head by Lewis. The two cousins allegedly fled the scene in a car driven by McKay's mother, leaving pub landlady Gillian Barker screaming for help.

Mr Hall, of Upton Road, Ryde, died from deep vein thrombosis, part of which was attributed to being in a coma, having suffered severe head injuries.

Lewis, of Bettesworth Road, Ryde, wept as he was found not guilty of both manslaughter and causing actual bodily harm to Mr Hall. He was also cleared of a further charge of intimidation.

But he admitted causing criminal damage to the pub, for which he will be sentenced with McKay on a date to be fixed.

Judge Michael Brodrick said: "You now stand for sentence before the court for breaking a window which triggered this whole tragic chain of events in the first place."