Teenager cleared of manslaughter after killing stepfather with one punch

Judge said there was lack of evidence to convict Douglas Herridge and ordered jury to declare him not guilty

Herridge lived with his father since 2014 and during bail as his behaviour reportedly became abusive (iStock)

A teenager who killed his stepfather with a punch to the head has walked free from court.

Douglas Herridge, who was 17 when he hit 54-year-old Colin Payne, was cleared of manslaughter after the incident in November last year.

Mr Payne, a father of two and former England squash player, intervened in an argument between Herridge and his mother, Ina, in the study of their home in Dartford.

Ms Herridge had refused to lend her son money due to his behaviour, which led to her son becoming upset and verbally abusive.

Herridge reportedly called his mother a “c**t”. Payne entered the study and told the teenager he could not speak to his mother that way.

Payne was hit between his left ear and jawline. He fell to the floor, unconscious, and Herridge walked out of the room.

Ms Herridge, a NHS risk manager and former nurse, tried to save him. Her son was charged with murder.

After Ms Herridge gave evidence for the prosecution and was praised for her “stoicism”, Judge Jeremy Carey said: “What mother could possibly cope with a situation in which she has had to give evidence for the prosecution and the defendant is her natural child?”

The jury spent over six hours deliberating and returned with a verdict of manslaughter.

Judge Carey ruled that there was insufficient evidence to convict Herridge, however, and ordered the jury to declare he was not guilty.

He described Payne as a “fine man” and said his “untimely death” was “devastating” and “tragic”.

Herridge has been living with his father, David, while on bail. The teenager left court by his side and with other members of his extended family.

He had argued he had punched his stepfather in self-defence – trying to hit him twice but only landing one punch – and claimed Payne had gripped him around the neck.

“He had hold of me around the neck and all I wanted to do was get him off me. I was scared. I didn't know what was going to happen but I had to defend myself,” Herridge told the court.

He added that he would “never” have punched Payne, who was over six foot tall, if Payne had not throttled him.

Prosecutors argued that the now 18-year-old’s behaviour had deteriorated since the break-up of his parents in 2011.

They claimed that he had punched, kicked and throttled his mother, and the police came to the house after he tried to push her down the stairs.

In 2014 he went to live with his father.

The following year the court heard that he returned to live with his mother and Payne, but after quitting a business course at college and three jobs, his behaviour deteriorated again and Ms Herridge reportedly contacted social services.