Kristian Thompson death: Open verdict at second inquest

Kristian Thompson was attacked at the K2 club in Consett

A second inquest into the death of a County Durham teenager after a one-punch assault has once again recorded an open verdict.

Kristian Thompson was attacked in the K2 nightclub in Consett in September 2010 and died ten months' later.

An inquest in 2012 concluded the 19-year-old's death could not categorically be linked to the punch.

High Court judges later quashed the open verdict, but a second inquest has concluded in the same way.

Mark Berry, from Leadgate, was jailed for 28 months after admitting causing grievous bodily harm when he punched Mr Thompson.

'Beggars belief'

But in August 2012, after Mr Thompson died, the Crown Prosecution Service announced there would be no further charges brought.

Mr Thompson's family had argued there had not been a comprehensive inspection of his medical history, and it was "common sense" that the death was linked to the punch.

However, during the hearing at the Coroner's Court in Crook, medical experts said the cause of his death could have been down to a rare sudden death syndrome either related to the heart or the brain.

His mother Maxine Thompson-Curl, said she was "gutted" by the ruling.

"It beggars belief, really. Where's the common sense element in this?," she asked.

She said she would continue her campaign to highlight the danger of "one punch" attacks.