Manslaughter accused Jake Parkinson relives moment Jack Jermy-Doyle received unsurvivable injuries in Preston

One of two drunken men accused of causing the death of 25-year-old Jack Jermy-Doyle in a city centre assault confessed in court he punched him – but only to “warn him off.”

Jake Parkinson took to the witness box on the third day of his manslaughter trial at Preston Crown Court to tell the jury he had “panicked” when six-footer Jack confronted him and his friend Jak Fairclough at the end of a boozy night on the town.

“I’m not a violent man, I can’t fight anyone,” said the 5ft 7ins granite cutter. “He was just getting into Jak’s face and I didn’t want any trouble.

“They were having an argument of some sort. I thought something was going to kick off. It (a punch in his stomach/ribs) was like a warning. I didn’t want to hurt him.”

Fairclough has already pleaded guilty to manslaughter by punching Jack in the face and causing him to fall back and hit his head on the road at the corner of Harris Street and Birley Street. He will be sentenced at a later date.

In court, just yards from where the three men clashed, 22-year-old Parkinson claimed his involvement was only minor, a single jab in the side which, he said, made no impression on Jack as he faced up to Fairclough.  

Moments later Fairclough delivered the fatal blow, dropping him to the floor and causing massive brain damage as Jack’s head crashed against the tarmac.

The prosecution are arguing both men are guilty of manslaughter because they both assaulted the legal assistant who did not strike back. 

Jack died in hospital two days later without regaining consciousness. His head injury, said a pathologist, had been “unsurvivable.”

Parkinson was asked in the witness box to explain the events of that fateful night which were captured on CCTV cameras and played in court.

The footage showed Parkinson and Fairclough with three other men – one of whom the defendant had violently clashed with just minutes earlier in Friargate.

That was the second altercation Parkinson had been involved in as the men walked from the Ships and Giggles pub next to the University of Central Lancashire, passing Roper Hall, stopping for a drink in the Dog and Partridge, then passing Greyfriar’s bar, crossing over Ringway and heading up beyond McDonalds to the Flag Market.

In the first incident Parkinson was seen to throw a punch at a man outside Greyfriar’s whose hat he had playfully tried to grab. Then he was hit himself not far from the Black Horse by a friend of Fairclough’s and ended up “grappling” with him on the floor, suffering a swelling to the side of his head and a twisted ankle.

He had also been in a confrontation with a group in the street after making disparaging remarks about a man who was out wearing a crop-top. He denied in court he was homophobic.

Asked by his defence barrister Richard English how he felt watching back the TV footage of his behaviour that night, Parkinson, who claimed to have drunk 10 pints of beer, admitted: “I look a right idiot. I’d had too much to drink.”

Mr English asked: “Is that the way to behave?” Parkinson said “No.”

The barrister then said: “It looks like you were spoiling for a fight, is that fair?” Parkinson said “Yes.” Asked why, he added: “I was drunk at that time. I don’t know.”

At one point on the way up towards the Flag Market the CCTV shows Fairclough walking away from Parkinson. Mr English asked why. “Because I had been a bit of an idiot.”

“He was right wasn’t he?” said the lawyer. “Yes,” said Parkinson. “I was an embarrassment to myself. I feel ashamed of myself.”

The court heard that by the time the pair reached the Flag Market they had made up. It was at that moment that they happened on complete stranger Jack Jermy-Doyle who had also been out for a drink that night.

Parkinson claimed something had been shouted between them and they walked up to him.

“He came towards us a little bit,” he said. “I am 5ft 7ins, Jak (Fairclough) is about 5ft 10ins. He was about six foot.

“I asked him ‘what's your problem?’ He didn’t say anything to me. I hit him in the ribs.” Asked why he said: “I don’t know. I panicked. I didn’t know what to do. He was bigger than me.”

Mr English asked him: “Why didn’t you just run away.” He replied: “I just didn’t think of that. I just wanted to warn him off. We didn’t want any trouble.”

“Did he (Jack Jermy-Doyle) back off?” asked Mr English. “No.”

Parkinson said he had then turned away and didn’t see the punch that Fairclough threw, or see Jack fall to the ground and hit his head. “It all happened so fast.”

At that point Fairclough shouted “run” and the two took off towards Lancaster Road. On the CCTV Fairclough could be heard shouting “Who’s next? Who wants it? Anyone?”

(Proceeding)