Wedding guest admits manslaughter

Michael Pennington, a guest at a wedding reception in Flint, died following a row with Gavin Jackson

A guest has admitted killing his partner's brother who died after being head-butted at a wedding reception.

Garage owner Gavin Brierly Jackson, 44, of Romiley, Greater Manchester, admitted the manslaughter of Michael William Pennington, 26.

Mold Crown Court heard he suffered head injuries in a row during the wedding party at Mountain Park hotel and country club in Flint in August.

The judge said the guilty plea would be taken into account during sentencing.

Judge John Rogers QC remanded Jackson in custody until sentence in December and said that he was a mature and sensible man.

Stand-off

Mr Pennington, from Ashton-under-Lyne, received serious head injuries during the altercation at the hotel, where he was attending his cousin's wedding.

He was taken to the Countess of Chester Hospital, where he died the following morning.

During an earlier hearing before Flintshire magistrates, prosecutor Huw Evans told the court that father-of-two Jackson, who was undergoing a divorce, was at the wedding with his partner Nicola Pennington, the dead man's sister.

Mr Evans said that a lot of alcohol was consumed and at about 1700 BST Jackson returned to his room for a sleep while Mr Pennington stayed in the bar drinking and watching a football match.

He is said to have been warned several times about his behaviour during the match.

At 20.30 BST, Jackson returned to the wedding party, where there was a degree of tension between him and his partner.

Mr Pennington approached Jackson and it is alleged there was a stand-off before Jackson head-butted Mr Pennington in the face.

'Barrage of abuse'

He fell to the floor unconscious and was attended to by an off-duty paramedic until an ambulance arrived.

When Jackson was arrested he told police that Mr Pennington came at him and said he feared that he would be assaulted, the court was told.

Alex Fitzgerald, defending, said at the earlier hearing that Jackson and Miss Pennington had been in a relationship for about 18 months.

He said Jackson was not a big drinker and decided to have a nap so that he could pace himself and enjoy the night later.

Mr Fitzgerald said Jackson was faced with a barrage of abuse from Mr Pennington for leaving the wedding for more than three hours and that Mr Pennington threatened to stab him.

He added that Jackson, of Romiley near Stockport, was a man of good character.

He ran a car dealership with his father, a former police chief inspector, and saw his children three times a week.