Millionaire pop mogul's son cleared of kicking Boris Johnson's friend to death

Kes Ingoldsby, 18, of Henley, had been accused of murdering businessman Stephen Langford in a fight outside a takeaway close to the police station in Henley-on-Thames.

The court heard that Ingoldsby's friend James Diggins, 19, laid Mr Langford out with a punch before Ingoldsby followed up by booting the back of the unconscious man's skull. Police said it was the first murder in the quiet and affluent Oxfordshire town for more than 60 years.

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But Richard Horwell QC, defending, described the case as "an affront to British justiceî because there was no evidence that Mr Langford had died from anything other than a fall.

Diggins told the jury he had acted in self-defence after 18-stone Mr Langford, who had been convicted of unlawful wounding in 1980, had run at him with clenched fists, shouting: "I'll knock you out".

Ingoldsby insisted he had done nothing wrong and today the jury at Inner London Crown Court unanimously cleared both defendants after four-anda-half hours' deliberation.

Speaking afterwards, Detective Inspector Pete Dowling, of Thames Valley's major crime unit, described the case as both "sad" and one that was all too familiar to police throughout the country.

"Acts of violence in the early hours fuelled by drink are all too frequent. My condolences and thoughts are with Stephen Langford's family at this difficult time. They have remained calm and dignified throughout this trial and Stephen would have been proud of them."

Mr Dowling added : "They are saddened no one has been held to account for the taking of Stephen's life. Most of all, however, they would wish that the publicity surrounding this case may somehow act as a warning to others of the tragic consequences that can come from random acts of violence."

Mr Langford, 43, was the sales director of a telecoms company and former chairman of Henley Round Table.

The incident resulting in his death occurred in the early hours outside a fried chicken takeaway in Henley in December last year.

Bricklayer Diggins told the court Mr Langford, who had had six pints that night, started staring at Ingoldsby in the takeaway shop.

The teenagers left but Mr Langford tried to grab Ingoldsby and cocked his right arm as if to throw a punch.

Diggins, of Caversham Park Village, intervened and struck Mr Langford once. "Mr Langford fell to the ground. I heard his head hit the ground," Diggins said.

Ingoldsby said he bent down to slap Mr Langford but denied he had kicked the motionless victim in the head.

Witness Dominic Desmond, 17, told jurors Mr Langford was punched in the face in self-defence.

The next morning when Ingoldsby heard father-oftwo Mr Langford had died he rang his father Denis - the pop mogul who discovered Louise and helped produce Girls Aloud - who advised them to consult a solicitor then hand themselves in to police.

Mr Horwell said: "The overwhelming likelihood is that Mr Langford died from the fall alone. The defendants were threatened and under attack from Mr Langford."