BOSTON (AP) - A Boston man has been found not guilty of manslaughter and aggravated assault and battery after delivering a fatal punch to another man trying to break up a fight.
The Suffolk County District Attorney’s office says a jury acquitted Bryan McElhinney on Friday after about two hours of deliberation and a week-long trial.
McElhinney had been accused of punching 45-year-old Brian Hingston in the face in Boston last April. Hingston, a father of three from Quincy, hit his head when he fell to the ground and died hours later.
Hingston had spent the night celebrating a friend’s birthday with about 25 others, including McElhinney, who maintained he acted in self-defense.
McElhinney’s lawyer told the Patriot Ledger that Friday’s verdict was a “tremendous relief” for his client.
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