Mr O'Dea, a host at Manchester United Football Club, had already been cleared of murder on the directions of Judge Henry Globe QC after a witness failed to identify him as having attacked Mr Hardy.

The court has heard Mr Hardy. a student at Liverpool University's department of civic design, "happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time" when he struck up a conversation with Stephen Lunne outside the Nation nightclub.

'Punched and kicked'

The jury was told the two men knew each other from their home town of Bangor, but Mr Hardy was unaware there was a feud between Mr Lunne and Mr O'Dea, who had been in the nightclub, over Mr O'Dea's girlfriend.

The prosecution claimed Mr Taylor, Mr O'Dea, originally from County Donegal, Ireland, and two other men, Richard Faustino and Tom Canning, prepared a "revenge attack" on Mr Lunne and Mr Hardy became its innocent victim.

Mr Taylor told the court he hit Mr Hardy in the face three times but said this was because Mr Hardy was attacking a friend in an underpass.

In a prepared statement, he told police he had been defending Mr Canning, whom he claimed was being punched by Mr Hardy.

Mr Taylor, who the jury heard has a conviction for attacking a police officer, also claimed Mr Hardy was punched "extremely hard to the head" by Mr Faustino.

The court heard witnesses to the attack said they saw Mr Hardy being punched and repeatedly kicked.

Mr Hardy suffered a brain haemorrhage and was pronounced dead at the Royal Liverpool Hospital.