Overview
- A Leicester Crown Court jury on Thursday found Nathan Gothard guilty of manslaughter and cleared him of murder.
- He was remanded in custody and will be sentenced on May 22 after the judge warned of a significant prison term.
- David Darke, 66, suffered a fractured skull when a single punch outside the Crown Inn on December 21, 2025 knocked him down, and he died in hospital six days later.
- CCTV shown at trial captured Gothard earlier being knocked to the ground and Mr Darke appearing to help him up before the fatal punch in an area not covered by the camera.
- Prosecutors said Gothard struck to save face after unwanted advances and a lost fight, while he told jurors he acted in self‑defence after threats to kill him.