A BIKER who was involved in a row at a caravan park with a man who later died, told an inquest today that he had "clipped" the victim across the head.
James McGauran, from Kestral Grange in Dunmurry, died at the Erne Hospital in Enniskillen in May 2008 as a result of pneumonia and a head injury.
The 41 year-old lab technician had been left lying at Castle Archdale caravan park in Irvinestown for more than 16 hours before he received medical assistance.
A medical expert told Belfast Coroners court earlier this week that there was a chance that he could have made a full recovery if he had been treated sooner.
The inquest heard that Mr McGauran, a member of the biking fraternity, had gone to the caravan park on May 17 with a group of bikers to spend the night after enjoying a day at the North West 200 in Portstewart.
Fellow biker Robert Kempton told the inquest how he had been involved in a row with Mr McGauran in the early hours of the morning following a night of heavy drinking.
Mr Kempton told the court that Mr McGauran got "quite agitated" and was "making comments" and "calling people names for no apparent reason".
He claimed he went outside for some "peace and quiet" but that Mr McGauran followed out and took "a lunge" at him.
"He basically hit me on (the) right hand side shoulder/chest area, quite forcefully," he said.
He said the force "spun me backwards" and in a "knee jerk reaction" he "clipped" Mr McGauran "across the head" with his hand.
Mr Kempton claimed he tried to help Mr McGauran stand up and even attempted to wipe blood off his face.
He said he later put a sleeping bag over him as he lay on the ground outside the caravan.
The three others in the group later left the caravan separately some hours later, leaving Mr McGauran still lying outside.
Mr McGauran was not found until around 10pm that night - more than 16 hours after the altercation.
The inquest also heard evidence from Mr Kempton's wife, Samantha.
In a statement given at the time of the incident, which was yesterday read to the court, she said her husband told her that there had been "a scuffle inside the caravan", that he went outside and was "punched" by Mr McGauran and he "punched him back".
The inquest heard that Mr McGauran had suffered a fractured skull, which caused an extradural haemorrhage. He had also sustained facial injuries and fractured ribs.
Medical experts told Belfast Coroners Court that some of the injuries were "consistent with having been punched".
Coroner Brian Sherrard said he would deliver his findings at a later date.
