Court hears of chair clash in manslaughter trial

Lincoln Crown Court heard details of the incident that led to Peter Skilton's death

A man who denies unlawfully killing his 87-year-old stepfather told a court he never intended to push him to the ground.

It is alleged Peter Skilton died from a head injury after he was pushed to the ground by his stepson Dr Jason Waite.

Giving evidence at Lincoln Crown Court earlier, Dr Waite, 54, said he was attacked by the older man and had only pushed him to create some space between them.

Yesterday, Judge Catarina Sjolin Knight ruled there was insufficient evidence to prove Dr Waite, of Church Lane, Waddingham, either intended to kill or cause serious harm to Mr Skilton, and the case is now being tried as manslaughter.

Prosecutors claim Dr Waite "hated" his elderly stepfather following a long-running legal battle over his mother's estate.

But the defendant told jurors he never expected Mr Skilton to lose his footing and fall on 17 December.

Row over chair

Jurors heard details of the incident from Dr Whaite, who described finding tenants living in a house in Snitterby, Lincolnshire, that he believed he was the rightful owner of and which had been let out by his stepfather.

The court heard there had been an altercation involving a chair Dr Waite said belonged to his late mother.

Dr Waite said: "He [Mr Skilton] attempted to pull the chair out my hands by wrenching it left and right. The chair twisted and the back of it hit my shoulder.

"It was hard enough to knock me unsteady but not to knock me over."

The defendant said he had been punched by Mr Skilton on a previous occasion.

He then described to the court how he stumbled as he pushed forward and then Mr Skilton fell.

'I don't hate anyone'

Defence barrister James Horne KC asked Dr Waite: "Did you intend to push Peter to the ground?"

Dr Waite replied: "No," and added that he did not intend for Mr Skilton to lose his footing.

The court also heard how Dr Waite waited for an ambulance and provided his details to a 999 call handler.

He also denied prosecution suggestions that he was "the aggressor" and pushed Mr Skilton out of hate for his stepfather.

"I don't hate anyone," Dr Waite replied.

The trial continues.

Listen to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.

Download the BBC News app from the App Store for iPhone and iPad or Google Play for Android devices