Single punch killer found guilty

Peter Muscat had pleaded not guilty to manslaughter

A former soldier has been convicted of killing with a single punch a 19-year-old man who defended a young woman on a night out in Cardiff.

Peter Muscat, 20, was found guilty at Cardiff Crown Court of the manslaughter of hairdresser Michael Evans.

Mr Evans was attacked after calling: "It's wrong to hit a woman" when he saw her being pushed by another reveller.

Muscat, said to have resented the intervention, denied manslaughter and will be sentenced next month.

Muscat, from the Grangetown area of the city, was found guilty by a jury, and was remanded in custody. He had claimed he had acted in self-defence.

It was a heavy punch from a man who had some limited boxing experience in the past - he knew how to deal a heavy punch Prosecutor Timothy Evans

The court was told Muscat, who had boxed in the past, hit Mr Evans so hard he dropped to the ground "like a felled tree".

Mr Evans, of the Llanrumney area, spent six days on a life support machine at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff before his parents took the decision to switch it off.

Prosecutor Timothy Evans said: "Michael was with his friends when he saw a youth push the young woman.

"It led Michael to comment: 'It's wrong to hit a woman'.

Michael Evans died six days after he was punched by Muscat

"Muscat resented that intervention and picked on Michael, who was the smallest in the group, and punched him in the face.

"It was a heavy punch from a man who had some limited boxing experience in the past - he knew how to deal a heavy punch."

Mr Evans hit the ground so quickly he did not put his arms out to stop his head from hitting the pavement, the court was told.

Prosecutor Timothy Evans said: "It was a strike in anger and resentment".

The court heard that Muscat told police: "I only hit him once to shut him up for five minutes".

Mr Evans was assaulted as he walked with friends along Trinity Street, near the Howells department store, on 14 November last year.