Man cleared over Welsh independence pub row death

Peter Ormerod had been a maths teacher

A TV director has been found not guilty of killing a retired teacher after a row about Welsh independence.

Hywel Williams, 40, of Grangetown, Cardiff, was cleared of the manslaughter of Peter Ormerod, 75, outside a pub in Burry Port, Carmarthenshire, on 24 September 2022.

Mr Williams, a director on S4C soap opera Pobol y Cwm, said he was "scared" and acting in self-defence.

A jury at Swansea Crown Court acquitted Mr Williams.

The jury heard the men had been arguing about Welsh politics, with Mr Williams saying Mr Ormerod told him: "Wales wasn’t big enough to be independent."

Mr Williams left the Portobello Inn to make a phone call after telling Mr Ormerod: "Just because you speak Welsh, doesn't mean you know everything about Wales and the Welsh."

Mr Williams said he went across the road to make a phone call near the Carmarthenshire Coffee Company cafe on the corner of Stepney Road.

He said he acted in self-defence after Mr Ormerod crossed the road, moved closely towards him and was abusive so he "instinctively" pushed him away.

The jury heard a 999 call Mr Williams made to Dyfed-Powys Police about 40 seconds after the incident.

He told the call handler "I pushed him" after the former maths teacher swore at him.

The incident took place outside the Portobello Inn in Burry Port

CCTV footage played in court showed Mr Williams pushing Mr Ormerod, who hit his head on the ground and stopped moving.

Mr Williams's mother Marilyn, who was standing next to her son, could be heard screaming: "Oh Hywel, Hywel."

He replied: "Whatever, mam. He can't come at me like that," followed by expletives about Mr Ormerod.

The footage also showed Mr Williams getting a defibrillator opposite Burry Port railway station.

Mr Ormerod died in hospital four days later, having suffered traumatic head and brain injuries.

The court heard he previously taught at Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School for Boys in Carmarthen and at the Welsh language school Ysgol Bro Myrddin.

Malcolm Parker, landlord of the Portobello Inn, was sitting outside the pub when the incident happened.

He said Mr Ormerod was visibly unhappy leaving the pub and slammed a gate behind him.

“He did not look in a good mood. He looked like he had a bee in his bonnet," he told the court.

He said Mr Ormerod "moved into the other man's personal space", prompting Mr Williams to push him.

He said it was a “panic push“ and believed Mr Ormerod got his foot stuck in a drain which caused his shoe to come off.

He described the sound of his head hitting the pavement like "a cricket bat hitting a ball".

Mr Williams "couldn't stop shaking" and was visibly upset afterwards, he added.

After six hours of deliberations, a jury of six men and six women found Mr Williams not guilty of manslaughter.

Judge Paul Thomas KC said: "I can’t remember a sadder case than this."

Outside court, Mr Ormerod's daughter Cari delivered a statement on behalf of the family.

She said they were disappointed with the verdict and thanked those who looked after him in the aftermath of the incident.

"We do not recognise the version of our father played out during this trial," she said.

"He was not an aggressive person. He worked with children and young people throughout his professional life.

"Always dealt with people in a patient and empathetic manner.

"He was a kind, loving and considerate man, and is sorely missed by his family and friends."