Killing at the hostel

A former police officer killed a fellow resident at a Salvation Army hostel after he held up the lift by repeatedly pressing the button and blocking the doors, a court heard.

Oliver Hurley, 63, pushed 56 year-old Manolito Chando backwards out of the elevator with such force that the Croatian fell over backwards and suffered catastrophic head injuries.

Hurley, a former member of the Republic of Ireland’s Garda, later told police Mr Chando had been a ‘pest’ before the alleged attack in central London on 24 March last year.

He was questioned and released on bail but returned to Ireland after hearing police had obtained CCTV footage of the attack, jurors heard.

Hurley, from Co Wicklow, was arrested on a European Arrest Warrant six months later but fought extradition until he was brought back to the UK on 31 January this year.

He is now representing himself at his trial for manslaughter at the Old Bailey.

Hurley, making an opening speech to the jury, claimed that Mr Chando was ‘on a one man riot for four solid hours’ before the incident.

He claims he acted in self defence and that the push did not cause Mr Chando’s death.

The CCTV footage shows Hurley entering the lift at the hostel in Great Peter Street near Westminster Abbey at around 8pm.

Mr Chando, who was clearly drunk and unsteady on his feet, then approaches the lift and presses the button.

Prosecutor James Browne said: ‘Mr Chando then makes a circular motion with his hands and retreats towards the foyer.

‘Then Mr Chando makes the door open again and he is standing on the threshhold of the lift, leaning against the door.

‘He takes a couple of steps backwards, his arms are folded and the defendant violently shoves him backwards with sufficient force to lift him off his feet.

‘Then he looks for a moment, presses the button, the door closes and the defendant goes up in the lift. He does nothing help Mr Chando.’

Another resident described the victim as behaving in a ‘bothersome irritating way’, the court heard.

Mr Browne added: ‘The prosecution case is that the assault was borne as much out of frustration and irritation on Mr Hurley’s part as anything else. He described Mr Chando as a pest.’

Mr Chando hit his head on the floor and remained unconscious on the floor for six minutes before coming round.

He suffered a brain haemorrhage and had to be placed in a medically induced coma the next day in hospital.

Mr Chando died two weeks later on 9 April.

Hurley told police the victim was screaming and shouting and threatening to kill him and claimed he wanted to stop Mr Chando entering the lift.

He added: ‘I just gave him a tiny little push.’

Hurley was bailed by police and returned to live at the hostel on 29 March.

He told a woman staying there that Mr Chando wouldn’t let him get the lift and was pressing the button to keep the doors open.

On 9 April, after Mr Chando’s death, detectives went to the hostel to collect the CCTV footage.

Mr Browne told the court that Hurley had until then believed the CCTV camera was not working.

Eight days later Hurley caught a ferry from Holyhead and did not return to answer his bail on 17 May.

He was later found in Ireland and arrested on 26 October but contested extradition until he was returned to the UK on 31 January this year.

Hurley told police on interview: ‘I was trying to get away from him. I pushed him away with my open hand. I had no intention to cause any harm. He was very violent and aggressive, he attacked three men before me.’

He claims Mr Chando ‘committed 14 indictable crimes in that hostel before the incident.’

Hurley, of (229) Wandsworth Bridge Road, south London, denies manslaughter.

The trial continues.