Antonio Chiakka, 21, bounced around like a boxer before sending Guzman Shannan sprawling to the pavement
A clubber danced a jig after a Swedish tourist with a single punch outside a lapdancing club before fleeing to Cyprus in panic.
Antonio Chiakka, 21, bounced around like a boxer before sending Guzman Shannan sprawling to the pavement, a court heard.
As the victim lay bleeding from his ear and nose, one of Chiakka’s friend asked if he had thrown a knock out blow and taunted: ‘Is this going to be a 10?’
Mr Shannan’s jaw suffered serious brain damage after the attack near the Sophisticats gentlemen’s club in Marylebone on 29 July last year, the Old Bailey heard.
The 49-year-old, who was visiting London for his niece’s graduation, went for a quiet drink alone as his wife was too tired but never returned to their hotel.
He died days later in St Mary’s hospital.
Cypriot Chiakka admitted causing Mr Shannan’s death but insisted he was acting in self-defence.
He jurors: ‘I just threw a punch I believed was necessary to defend myself. I wouldn’t say it was hard, I would say moderate.’
The killer said he did not realise he had caused any serious injury and only found out his victim was in intensive care around 30 hours later.
He admitted he ‘panicked’ and fled the country to Larnaca in Cyprus on July 31.
Chiakka also said he Googled ‘one punch killer’ after a friend phoned him and told him about a TV programme about similar incidents.
Tragic: Guzman Shannan, who was visiting London for his niece’s graduation, went for a quiet drink alone as his wife was too tired but never returned to their hotel
He remained emotionless as the verdict was returned but his friends and relatives had to be cleared from the public gallery as they began ranting and swearing.
One shouted ‘stay strong’ and another hurled abuse at the jury bellowing: ‘Well done all of you, I’m so proud. I’m not going to leave this. You were all against him from the beginning’.
Judge Zoe Smith refused 21-year-old bail, saying: ‘I have heard evidence in the course of the case about how the defendant can panic and in panic runs away. And I think there must be a remand in custody at this stage.’
Chiakka was remanded in custody ahead of sentence on February 5.
Mr Shannan’s jaw suffered serious brain damage after the attack near the Sophisticats gentlemen’s club in Marylebone on 29 July last year, the Old Bailey heard
The court heard he had enjoyed a day of paintballing and later went to the strip club Sophisticats in Marylebone before the attack.
Prosecutor Brian O’Neill QC said the victim arrived in London on 26 July with his partner to attend the graduation and take a short holiday.
During the evening of the 29 July he went out for a drink on his own as his wife was too tired.
‘Mr Shannan never returned to their hotel,’ he said. ‘It was during the course of that night that the victim was assaulted by this defendant.’
Paramedics rushed to the scene at Henrietta Place at around 6.27am where he was taken to hospital in a critical condition, but he died at 4.33pm on 2 August.
Mr O’Neill said: ‘It was a powerful punch to the face to which Mr Shannan then fell to the ground – his head hit the pavement rendering him unconscious.’
Witnesses told the court there was ‘zero aggression’ from the victim before he was ‘knocked out cold’
CCTV captured the moment the victim, who was wearing a distinctive baseball cap, hit the floor.
Witnesses told the court there was ‘zero aggression’ from the victim before he was ‘knocked out cold.’
Michael Lawe said he ‘observed the defendant moving side to side before punching Mr Shannon.’
Nightclub promoter Chukuemeba Obinwa said he saw Mr Shannan walking over to Chiakka’s group and ‘observed no aggression.’
The next thing he saw was Chiakka punching Mr Shannan.
The club promoter heard Chiakka shout ‘what’ after he hit the floor and one of his friends ask: ‘Is this going to be a 10?’
Mr Obinwa said Chiakka ‘did a jig in front of the deceased’ after throwing the punch.
Devastating: Nightclub promoter Chukuemeba Obinwa said he saw Mr Shannan (pictured above) walking over to Chiakka’s group and ‘observed no aggression’
He described Mr Shannan as ‘harmless’ and not posing ‘any threat to the group’.
But Chiakka claimed the ‘moderate’ punch was ‘necessary to defend myself’.
He admitted he ‘panicked’ and fled to Cyprus on July 31 before Googling ‘one punch killer.’
‘I was literally curious how he had suffered such a serious injury from just one punch,’ he said.
‘At that time I knew he was in intensive care.’
Chiakka returned to the UK on August 3 and was arrested by police on the plane.
He said: ‘My friend told me that another friend of mine had been arrested for murder.
‘I had to come back and sort it out, hand myself in and whatever the consequences are the consequences are.
‘As soon as I was arrested for murder I fell straight to my knees, held my head. I couldn’t believe someone’s dead because of me.’
Asked how he felt about Mr Shannan’s death, he replied: ‘Very very bad. It’s unexplainable.’
Chiakka, from Enfield, north London, denied manslaughter but was convicted by the jury.
He will be sentenced at Old Bailey on 5 February.
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