A family say they “feel let down by the system” after a trial over the killing of their son ended without a conviction.

Benyamin ‘Beny’ Hussain, from Watford, died from a brain injury on November 15 last year after he was punched to the ground while on a night out in Cambridge.

At Cambridge Crown Court on Wednesday, rugby player Hamish Daniel, 24, of Redston Road, Crouch End, was found not guilty of manslaughter by a jury after an eight-day trial.

The BBC reported that Mr Hussain, had been in Cambridge visiting a school friend and was part of a group in the Revolution bar on a student night while Mr Daniel was there with a group connected to Cambridge Saxons rugby club.

Prosecutor Andrew Jackson said there was “antagonism” between the two groups that the doormen were trying to break up.

The groups separated before coming together again near a bus stop on St Andrew’s Street.

After showing the jury CCTV footage, Mr Jackson said "you may think if Mr Hussain was doing anything it was his best to try to calm things down".

But the defendant claimed that at one point Mr Hussain was “getting right up into the face” of another man.

During a police interview Mr Daniel said he "thought if he didn’t hit Mr Hussain he would be hit himself".

In court, Mr Daniel said he had been attacked walking home from a night out at the Revolution bar in 2017 and feared he could have been attacked in the same way.

Prosecutors said Mr Daniel gave Mr Hussain a punch which “effectively knocked him off his feet to the ground” and he suffered the fatal injuries when the back of his head hit the pavement. He died in hospital later that day.

Speaking at their family home in Hagden Lane on the day of the verdict, Beny’s family shared their “shock and disappointment” that the system allowed a defendant to go free while the victim’s family were left with nothing.

Beny’s father Shabir Hussain, who runs the Tudor Cars minicab service in Chorleywood, said: "Today has been shocking, the verdict has been upsetting. Is it okay if someone pushes someone else, punches them and knocks them out, which kills them, and gets away with it?

"That’s the question that should be asked because, if it is okay, that’s sending out the wrong message."

The family were upset that although the court heard about Mr Daniel’s good character in his defence, jurors never heard about Beny’s character.

Mr Hussain continued: "The jury knew nothing about Beny and that’s an important factor. He was like a nobody.

"It’s unfair that Beny was not there to defend himself and as a family we weren’t able to defend him either."

Watford Observer:

Beny’s cousin Nadia Ahmed added: “As a family we don’t feel like we have had the justice for Beny today. We feel let down. Beny is the victim. He lost his life.”

His close friend Jord Barber, 19, added: “As a group of friends, we don’t see as much of each other now. As a community, we are completely broken. Beny would bring so many together.”

In a statement that the Hussain family wanted to read out in court, Beny, who would have turned 20 later this month, was described as “caring and generous” with “plans for the future”.

It read: “Following the devastating news of our son’s death last November, our lives have changed forever.

“Waiting the last year for the trial has been very painful and put all our lives on hold. It goes without saying that we miss Beny more than anything.

“Beny as a person was someone to be proud of. On the night this tragedy happened, Beny was only on his second night out where he stayed away from home.

“Beny was a happy, smiling person. He was optimistic, open minded, caring and generous. Beny was a good role model to his brothers, aged 15 and 13 and cousins.

“Beny was very giving. He regularly would buy food for homeless people and liked to give to charity.

“He had plans for the future. These dreams for him and all of us have been taken away by and the pain of him not coming back no one should bear.

“The void that has been left by Beny’s death will never be filled.”