A Shropshire doorman accused of the manslaughter of a man at a Shrewsbury nightclub said he put himself between the victim and another member of door staff in an attempt to protect him.

Daryl Brown told the jury at Birmingham Crown Court yesterday that he had tried to calm down his colleague, Neil Stokes, who he claimed punched Darren Griffiths “a minimum of three times” in the head.

The jury was told Stokes, 22, of Spring Gardens, Shrewsbury, has already admitted manslaughter.

Brown, 33, of Severn Drive, Wellington, denies the manslaughter of Mr Griffiths, who died following an incident at the Liquid & Diva nightclub in Raven Meadows, Shrewsbury, on June 29, last year.

Brown said a “red mist” had seemed to descend on Stokes on the night in question after Mr Griffiths and a friend were refused entry to the club.

He said: “Every time Mr Stokes struck Mr Griffiths I told him to stop. I covered Mr Griffiths with my body to stop the blows.”

Restrain

When asked if he had used violence to restrain Mr Griffiths he said he had not.

He said when Stokes left to go outside he had tried to put Mr Griffiths, a father-of-four, from Harmer Hill, near Shrewsbury, into the recovery position.

Brown added he had tried to clear Mr Griffith’s airway and assisted the police while they waited for an ambulance.

He said he had restrained Mr Griffiths because he was acting aggressively.

Brown said: “He wasn’t just trying to get up to run away. He was looking for a fight.”

But Mr Paul Farrer, prosecuting, said Mr Griffiths was subjected to a “punishment beating” in a known CCTV blindspot. Brown denied the accusation.

Mr Farrer said: “You didn’t kneel on this man’s chest to help him. It was instead a punishment beating, you held him and punched him yourself. You prevented him breathing and you killed him didn’t you?”

Brown denied that he had caused Mr Griffiths’ death.

Earlier in the day the court heard Brown claim he had acted properly.

He said he had tried to calm the situation down and had not realised how seriously injured Mr Griffiths was.

He said he also did not notice that Mr Griffiths’ face had turned blue.

The trial continues.

By Emma Kasprzak