Garon Jewell cleared of Lymington stabbing death charges

Max Maguire died at the scene outside the Royal British Legion Club in Lymington

One of two brothers on trial for the murder of a man outside a Royal British Legion club has been acquitted after no evidence was offered against him.

Garon Jewell, 19, along with his brother Draven Jewell, 21, was accused of killing 23-year-old Max Maguire in a fight outside the club in Lymington, Hampshire, in October.

Prosecutors said there was "no longer a reasonable prospect" of convicting Garon Jewell.

Draven Jewell denies murder.

The pair, from Lymington, were also jointly accused of attacking two friends of Mr Maguire - Luke Gray and Georgia Hole - shortly before midnight on 22 October 2021.

Police cordoned off the street outside the Royal British Legion club in Lymington High Street

Garon Jewell had been standing trial accused of murder and an alternative charge of manslaughter of father-of-one Mr Maguire, from Pennington, as well as two alternative charges of wounding Mr Gray and two alternative charges of wounding Ms Hole.

Draven Jewell remains on trial for the same charges as well as a count of the attempted murder of Mr Gray.

He claims to have acted in self-defence and denies the charges.

He has pleaded guilty to having an offensive weapon.

Prosecutor Adam Feest QC withdrew the case against Garon Jewell on all charges after Mr Gray gave evidence to the trial.

He told the jury: "It's our position, on the evidence as it has developed over the course of the trial, that there is no longer a reasonable prospect of conviction of Garon Jewell on any of the charges he faces.

"Luke Gray accepted he was the first person to make physical contact with the other group and when he accepted his actions started the incident in which he was injured, we cannot prove Garon Jewell's reaction was unlawful.

"The prosecution accept that we can no longer prove he was not acting in self-defence.

"On the evidence, we can no longer prove he would be jointly responsible for whatever his brother did thereafter."

The judge, Mrs Justice Cutts, ordered the jurors to formally find Garon Jewell not guilty.

The trial continues.