Shropshire Star

Telford man, 35, is cleared of GBH in Shifnal pub fracas

A Telford man has been cleared of causing grievous bodily harm during a confrontation at a pub.

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Craig Lees, 35, was found not guilty by a jury at Shrewsbury Crown Court yesterday following a three-day trial.

Mr Lees had accepted punching Elliott Edwards in the face but said that he believed he was going to be attacked and acted in self defence.

Mr Edwards was knocked out cold and suffered a fractured jaw and a badly-damaged eye socket from the punch.

Mr Lees, of Brands Farm Way, Randlay, had denied the charge and said he had not been aggressive in the incident at the Railway Inn in Shifnal on July 10 last year.

The jury was shown CCTV footage where the landlady is telling a banned customer, Dean Cox, to leave the pub.

Mr Cox is Mr Edwards' cousin and there was an exchange of words and Mr Lees told the court he had been trying to "do the decent thing" and protect the pub landlady.

He said he was by the bar and was pushed back and he struck out because he knew he was going to be attacked.

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