Oliver Dearlove murder trial: 'Man killed banker with one punch after hitting him as hard as he could'

Fatal attack: Oliver Dearlove with his girlfriend Clare Wately
Met Police
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The friend of a high-flying banker who was killed with a single punch said the attacker landed the blow "as hard as he could", the Old Bailey heard today.

Oliver Dearlove, 30, was attacked and fatally injured in Blackheath after a casual chat with a group of women about high heels and baby photos, jurors have heard.

Andrew Cook, a friend of Mr Dearlove's since university, said the attacker, 31-year-old Trevor Timon, "came out of nowhere" and was immediately aggressive towards them.

Mr Cook said Timon, who knew the women they were talking to, was "getting up in our faces" and asked: "Who the f***are you?" before allegedly landing the fatal blow on Mr Dearlove.

Mr Cook told the court: "It almost felt like he was going to leave, and then he thought 'you know what, I'm going to hit this guy'.

"He hit him as hard as he could in the face and head area.

"He really put his whole body into it, as hard as he could punch. It was very forceful, very quick, very powerful. He had bad intentions."

Mr Cook re-enacted the punch from the witness box, adding that Timon had delivered "an aggressive punch - he put everything he could into it".

Killed: Oliver Dearlove, 30
Metropolitan Police

Mr Dearlove's relatives sobbed in court as Mr Cook described his friend falling straight to the ground and being knocked unconscious.

He said there was "panic" as they quickly realised he was not breathing, and a passer-by stopped to try to resuscitate Mr Dearlove before the ambulance arrived.

The banker, a relationship manager at Belgravia-based Duncan Lawrie, never regained consciousness and died within 24 hours of the attack.

Timon has admitted the manslaughter of Mr Dearlove on August 28 last year, but denies murder.

Mr Cook said he, Mr Dearlove, and three friends who had all first met at Portsmouth University, and went to Blackheath that day for a reunion

They spent the day drinking in pubs, watching a Manchester United match, and going for a curry, before ending the evening in microbrewery Zerodegrees.

Jurors saw CCTV this morning of Mr Dearlove, Mr Cook, and a friend leaving to go home just before 12.30am, before bumping into and beginning to chat to four women who were known to Mr Timon.

The court has heard Mr Dearlove asked one of the women if her feet were hurting, as she had taken off her high heels, and commented on a picture of her new-born baby.

"I don't remember exactly what was said, it was just friendly chit-chat", said Mr Cook.

"It was a polite, friendly chat, something along the lines of how has your night been?"

He said within ten seconds, Timon had interjected and appeared "angry and agitated".

"He got really close to us, in our personal space, and he pushed me a little bit in the face", said Mr Cook.

"He was looking for a fight, not a nice guy, trying to start a fight. We didn't know why."

He said they held up their hands, trying to avoid a confrontation, and told jurors they were "absolutely not" aggressive.

Courtney Griffith QC, defending, asked if one of Mr Cook's group had said, referring to Mr Timon: "She's with the half-chap"?

"The man you saw was mixed race, and you appreciate some use the offensive phrase 'half-cast' to refer to them", asked Mr Griffith. "Did someone say that?"

Mr Scott replied: "Not that I remember."

He conceded that they had drunk heavily throughout the day, but said he was sure the comment had not been used.

"Were those words followed by laughter?" added Mr Griffith. Mr Cook replied: "No. I didn't even know he was there."

Timon, of Heavitree Road, Plumstead, denies murder. The trial continues.

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