Man cleared of manslaughter after one-punch death

A football fan who threw a single punch which left a man with fatal injuries has been cleared of manslaughter.

Lewis MacLeod, 36, from Sunderland, was accused of killing 43-year-old Michael Edwards during an incident on Borough High Street, London, on 13 September 2025. MacLeod had travelled from his home to the city ahead of Sunderland's match with Crystal Palace.

During a manslaughter trial at Inner London Crown Court, the jury heard an altercation broke out between the pair in the early hours and MacLeod punched Edwards, who fell and hit his head on the pavement. He died from brain injuries in hospital four days later.

MacLeod broke down in the dock on Monday as a jury found him not guilty.

He has been released on bail ahead of being sentenced on 1 June for assaulting Edwards' friend.

MacLeod admitted assault causing actual bodily harm against the man, for punching him while he checked on Edwards as he lay on the ground.

The court heard that MacLeod - who had denied manslaughter - spent several hours drinking before the incident.

Edwards, from Warwickshire, had been celebrating a friend's birthday, while MacLeod had been drinking with a friend.

Just after 00:00 BST, MacLeod and his friend took a taxi to Elephant and Castle, near the friend's home, and continued drinking.

Edwards and his friend were already drinking in the area at this time, the court heard.

There was evidence that Edwards and MacLeod had used cocaine.

By about 01:40 BST on 13 September, all of the men were in Belushi's bar on Borough High Street, sitting on tables about 5m (16ft) apart.

MacLeod and his friend were asked to leave the bar. Edwards and a friend, meanwhile, were vaping outside.

CCTV showed MacLeod trying to shake hands with Edwards and trying repeatedly to touch his groin as he left.

It then showed Edwards and his friend speaking to security and then following the other pair to a nearby shop.

Footage showed a confrontation between the men, with MacLeod throwing a punch to the right side of Edwards' head. A fight then broke out inside the shop.

MacLeod told the court that when he threw the punch he was "scared and terrified" and said it was an act of self-defence.

"I'm absolutely devastated and always will be," he told the court during trial.

"I never wanted this to happen. I'm gutted."

He told the jury that Edwards had demanded that he come out of the shop.

"Who would not be scared of the two men?" he said. "They were definitely going for trouble."

He added that he believed he would be "seriously hurt by these two big men".

"I just gave them a defensive, left, one-punch shot," he said.

In footage, Edwards could be seen falling backwards on to the street and hitting his head. There was blood on the pavement when he was moved, jurors heard.

MacLeod admitted taking more cocaine after the street fight and said he had struggled to remember the details when he was arrested.

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