A JURY has found a Harpenden man not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter following the death of a former seaman he had attacked and left in a vegetative state nearly five years ago. Daniel Gorman, aged 22, of Longfield Road, was sentenced in 2004

A JURY has found a Harpenden man not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter following the death of a former seaman he had attacked and left in a vegetative state nearly five years ago.

Daniel Gorman, aged 22, of Longfield Road, was sentenced in 2004 to six years in a young offenders institution after being found guilty of inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent on 57-year-old Edward Nelson in the assault in September 2003..

But the victim died in 2006 as a result of pneumonia directly linked to the injuries he suffered and his attacker was rearrested and charged with murder.

A jury at Ipswich Crown Court, where Gorman was on trial this week, cleared him of murder but found him guilty of the lesser charge of manslaughter.

The court heard how Gorman, who lived in Lowestoft at the time of the attack, allegedly carried out the assault because of unfounded allegations that Mr Nelson was a child molester.

But in evidence, Gorman claimed another man was responsible for causing Mr Nelson's horrific injuries.

Judge John Devaux will sentence Gorman at a later date after reports are compiled.