THE family of a Good Samaritan who died after being attacked in a peaceful Essex town said their “hearts will never mend” as his killer finally admitted his guilt.

Annie Davidson

THE family of a Good Samaritan who died after being attacked in a peaceful Essex town said their “hearts will never mend” as his killer finally admitted his guilt.

Dominic Barritt, 18, stepped in to protect a girl during an altercation in the street and was punched by Mark Brewer, causing him to fall and hit his head on the pavement.

He died in hospital two days after the assault in High Street, Walton on the Naze, over the August Bank Holiday weekend this year.

At Chelmsford Crown Court yesterday, unemployed Brewer, 22, admitted manslaughter and will be sentenced in the New Year.

Gareth Hughes, prosecuting, said: “Dominic Barritt met his death following a single punch blow delivered by this defendant.

“He went straight to the ground, hitting the back of his head and really never recovered from that.”

The court heard that Brewer, of Fairlop Road, Leytonstone, London, had denied murder and that the plea of manslaughter had been accepted by the Crown Prosecution Service.

Judge Christopher Ball QC agreed with the decision, saying that “juries in such cases find it almost impossible to conclude the assailant intended grievous bodily harm and certainly never intended to kill.”

He said Brewer had an “extensive” history involving violence, weapons, drug taking and represented “a very significant danger” to the public.

Mr Barritt, a trainee builder, lived in Little Clacton with his grandparents Carol and Ron Barritt, who said yesterday they had been left heartbroken by his death on August 25 this year.

They spoke of their pride that his organs had been donated and given to five other people after he took the decision to carry a donor card just a year before he died.

In a statement issued jointly with Mr Barritt's mother, Sam Barritt, they said: “Our darling Dominic was violently taken from us. “Our hearts are broken and they will never ever mend.

“There is no room in our hearts or thoughts to feel anything else other than the love, loss and total grief for our hero and gentleman.

“On this day, we celebrate his life. From death came life. Life is a precious gift. Dominic gave five people that gift as his organs were donated - just one year after signing up to become a donor. Our prayers are with them for a full recovery.”

At the time of Mr Barritt's death they told how, when attacked, he was standing in front of a girl to protect her, adding: “We tried to make him into a true gentleman and now we know that we succeeded.”

Outside court, senior investigating officer, Det Supt John Quinton, said: “Today's plea offers little consolation to Dominic's family.

“One of the saddest facts from this case is that Dominic had the whole of his adult life ahead of him and it was cut short by another young man.

“Dominic's family join us today in urging all parents to challenge their children; find out who they socialise with and find out where they are during the evenings. We continue to extend our sympathies to Dominic's family.”

Brewer will be sentenced in February next year after pre-sentence and psychiatric reports have been prepared.