A CHAMPION kick-boxer sobbed at the Old Bailey when he was cleared of murdering an alcoholic tramp with a single punch.

Brian Nelson, aged 32, of Main Road, Sutton-at-Hone, denied murdering William Buck on August 29 last year.

The court heard Mr Nelson felt intimidated by Mr Buck’s taunts and had punched him once, causing him to bang his head on the pavement in Bethnal Green, east London.

Mr Buck never regained consciousness and died in hospital 12 days later.

Prosecutor Orlando Pownall QC said: “The defendant was extremely fit and well able to fend for himself both in and out of the ring. Any physical altercation was bound to be a mismatch.” Mr Nelson, who had recently won a regional kick-boxing championship, told the court how he had tried to pass Mr Buck and a woman on the pavement but Mr Buck had staggered into his path, brushing shoulders with him.

Mr Nelson said he did not say anything but Mr Buck, aged 41, began shouting racist and four-letter expletives at him.

He eventually turned round to face Mr Buck because he was shouting and getting closer to him.

Mr Buck’s friend tried to intervene but the drunken tramp dodged her.

Mr Nelson said: “It was going through my mind he was positioning himself to headbutt me.

“He slowly went back and I thought I was going to get attacked so I instinctively threw out my left hand.” The court heard Mr Buck fell and Mr Nelson put him in the recovery position before running off.

Mr Nelson only realised the scale of Mr Buck’s injuries when he read an appeal in a newspaper days later and turned himself in.

The jury cleared Mr Nelson of murder after 90 minutes’ deliberation on July 24.