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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Kieren Williams

Moment M&S security guard kills homeless man with single punch over 'stolen meat'

This is the shocking moment that an M&S security guard kills a homeless man with a single punch after he allegedly stole meat.

Sabeur Trabelsi chased down homeless man Jason Page, from the supermarket branch in Lower Earley, near Reading, Berkshire, on March 31 last year.

The 44-year-old dad-of-three landed a "knockout blow" on Mr Page who fell to the ground and struck his head, causing injuries that he would never recover from and he later died in hospital.

Trabelsi had been hired by the M&S supermarket following a string of thefts but now the dad faces jail after a jury took four hours to convict him of manslaughter.

After being arrested he initially tried to claim that the 51-year-old had fallen over because he was drunk and he denied throwing the punch.

Footage shows the shocking moment the guard caught up with the homeless man, who had alleged stolen from the store, before he punched him (HNP Newsdesk/Hyde News & Pictures Ltd)

But CCTV shown to the jury proved he had struck the man and alongside his manslaughter conviction, he was found guilty of perverting the course of justice.

The former conviction means the guard, who was not employed by M&S and supplied to the store on temporary basis by a third part security company, could be jailed for up to eight years.

Just half an hour before the shop was due to shut, CCTV caught Mr Page and an accomplice "brazenly" filling up a bag with expensive meat and a box of beer.

Trabelsi chased down Mr Page with Elliot Cripps, the store manager, following in an attempt to get the meat back.

Jason Page (HNP Newsdesk/Hyde News & Pictures Ltd)
Sabeur Trabelsi (HNP Newsdesk/Hyde News & Pictures Ltd)

Grainy CCTV shows Mr Page being wrestled to the ground as Mr Cripps managed to get the stolen goods back.

It was when Mr Page got back to his feet that Trabelsi punched him, causing him to fall and he would die a short time later from his injuries.

Mr Cripps was cleared of perverting the course of justice and walked free from Reading Crown Court.

Judge Amjad Nawaz rejected a plea by Trabelsi's defence counsel for him to be granted bail "to put his affairs in order" before being jailed and he was sent straight to the cells.

Police at the scene of the incident (HNP Newsdesk/Hyde News & Pictures Ltd)

He will be detailed at Bullingdon Prison in Bicester pending sentencing on June 12.

In one of a number of interviews with police, the prosecution said that Trabelsi said: "I was frustrated, I know I shouldn't have done it."

Trabelsi punched Mr Page on what was his last day working for Marks & Spencer.

In evidence, Trabelsi told jurors Mr Page had threatened to stab him with a needle when he landed the punch, which he also argued was instead a slap.

The security guard claimed that Mr Page had fallen and hit his head at first (HNP Newsdesk/Hyde News & Pictures Ltd)

Summing up the prosecution case, Mr Ward-Jackson told jurors yesterday: "He (Trabelsi) had pent-up anger. He was angry and wound up, or to use his words - frustrated."

He said his revelation to police was a "rare moment" where he revealed the reason for his crime.

"Which is anger or frustration and if that is right, this is not a case of self-defence but a blow committed on the spur of the moment aimed in anger," he said.

Trabelsi's counsel, Felicia Davey, told jurors: "Was it necessary for Trabelsi to defend himself? On the evidence we submit, how could there be any other conclusion other than 'yes it was'

"We go on to consider the second stage - was what he did reasonable? Knowing that tragically it is the head hitting the floor that does the damage and knowing that tragically Mr Page would have hit the floor much harder and faster than usual [because he had alcohol in his system].

"Again we say how could there be any other conclusion than 'yes'?

"We say that the fact he didn't mention the slap to the police was not for any bad reason - certainly not to pervert the course of justice."

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