Craig Grant death: Bouncer Jonas Marcius cleared of Aberdeen murder

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-30515885

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A bouncer has been cleared of murder after a man died when being escorted out of a bar in Aberdeen city centre for being too drunk.

Jonas Marcius denied murdering Craig Grant, 26, of Inverurie, outside the Tonik bar in August last year.

Marcius was instead found guilty of assault after a trial at the High Court in Aberdeen. Sentence was deferred.

The court heard Marcius seized Mr Grant by the neck and put him in a choke hold forcing him to the ground.

A witness told the trial Mr Grant was limp "like a teddy bear" after he was restrained by bouncers on the ground.

At the time of his death, relatives of Mr Grant described him as a "devoted family man".

They said in a statement: "Craig was at his happiest when spending time with his son Owen and wife Fiona."

Mr Grant was enjoying a night out with school friends drinking in pubs in Aberdeen on the night that he died.

But the 26-year-old had wandered into the city centre pub on Bon Accord Street alone after he was refused entry at a nearby pub.

When he fell asleep, Marcius and his colleague Kiel Hauley, 33, led him from the table to the entrance of the Galleria Shopping Centre.

CCTV footage captured the moment he was assaulted by the bouncers and held on the ground until police arrived.

The door stewards believed he was going to hit Mr Hauley and claimed they were both acting in self defence.

They were both charged with murder and went on trial at the High Court in Aberdeen along with another colleague Adrian Morley.

Mr Morley, 33, and Hauley were cleared of the charge halfway through the trial. Hauley, also of Aberdeen, admitted a lesser charge of assault.

Mr Grant's friends found him lying motionless on the ground being restrained by bouncers outside the pub.

Trial witnesses told how they could see his face turning blue and blood was dripping from his mouth as he lay on the pavement.

Police arrived at the scene and initially tried to handcuff him until they realised he was not responding.

Defence lawyer Mark Stewart said Marcius, originally from Lithuania, was a single man who was studying economics and finance and had worked as a door steward part-time.