Hartlepool manslaughter trial: Shopkeepers describe road side altercation prior to 59-year-old's death

Mark Davison, 59, from Easington, died after suffering a heart attack at the wheel of his car in Bailey Street, in Hartlepool town centre, on May 27, 2022.

Moments beforehand he was involved in an altercation with Mark Beaumont, 48, on the corner of Gainford Street and York Road.

Beaumont denies killing Mr Davison.

Shop owner Stephen Close gave evidence at Teesside Crown Court on Tuesday.

He described seeing a fight erupt outside between Beaumont and Mr Davison and went out to try and help separate them.

"They were throwing punches at each other, a lot of shouting, that sort of thing," he said.

Mr Close said he heard Beaumont accuse Mr Davison of hitting Beaumont’s wife, who was in the middle of the pair.

He said Beaumont appeared the more angry of the two and that Mr Davison looked to be defending himself.

But he accepted both men were shouting and swearing at each other.

Another nearby shopkeeper, Laura Gibson, told the trial Beaumont was bouncing around “like a boxer”.

Beaumont, of Fordyce Road, Hartlepool, is accused of punching Mr Davison twice to the head after he got back into his car.

Mr Davison is said to have driven around the corner into Bailey Street where he suffered a fatal heart attack at the wheel.

Emergency services arrived and performed CPR but Mr Davison died.

The trial started on Monday and is expected to last for five days.