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The widow of a man who died days after being savagely beaten claims justice has not been done after a thug was cleared of his murder and manslaughter.
Michelle Scott spoke of her devastation as Robert Alderman, 22, was jailed for two years after he admitted lesser charges of affray and assaulting victim Paul Scott’s brother Gary Chaplin.
With time spent in custody and on a tagged curfew, he is likely to be free within eight months.
It emerged after the verdicts that Alderman had a string of previous convictions, including some for street violence.
Robert Alderman cleared of killing dad of five Paul Scott
Prosecutor Anthony Haycroft said Alderman, whose girlfriend is pregnant, had convictions for assault, involving a street attack, and using threatening words and behaviour.
The court heard during the two-week trial how Alderman clashed with Mr Scott, 43, and his brother on the night of February 13. It was captured on CCTV and shown to the jury.
Mr Scott, family and friends had been to Palm Cottage Social Club in Canterbury Street and Alderman was at nearby Bliss nightclub.
The court heard Alderman, of Canadian Avenue, Gillingham, saw Paul Scott damaging wing mirrors on vehicles in Balmoral Road and was alleged to have punched, kicked and stamped on him while he was on his knees after declaring: “I’m a boxer and a head case.”
He also demanded: “Say sorry and I will stop hitting you.”
Mr Chaplin said in evidence that Alderman “danced around like Muhammad Ali” and his brother was on his knees being used as a punch bag.
Mr Scott suffered fractures to his right leg which led to his death four days later from a pulmonary embolism – a blood clot in a main artery in the lung.
Alderman agreed he was not acting in self-defence when he punched Mr Scott several times, but denied kicking him or stamping on his leg.
Asked what he thought about his behaviour, he said: “I am disgusted about what I have done that night.”
Speaking after the verdict, Mrs Scott said: “We weren’t expecting him to be found not guilty of manslaughter. We were absolutely shocked and gutted.”
Since the death of father-of-five Mr Scott, his family have had to move from their home in Gillingham – just metres from where the incident happened – because of the painful memories.
Mrs Scott said: “The girls would walk past Aldi and say ‘that was where daddy was hit’.
“The kids aren’t doing well and the girls cry for their dad. They are devastated.
“They have to live their whole life now without their dad and because we have moved they have lost their school, their friends and their home.
“There has been no justice. I feel the past two weeks have been pointless" - widow Michelle Scott
“The girls are too young to understand what happened, but when they’re older they are going to want to know.
“If he had just passed away from a heart attack I could deal with it, but it’s going to be in my head forever.
“To me, Alderman has done it. If he had got manslaughter I would have felt that justice had been done, but it hasn’t.”
As Alderman, whose girlfriend is pregnant, was sent down to the cells, one of his family members shouted: “How can you let a baby be without its dad?”
Mrs Scott said: “It was absolutely appalling. My children have to live without their dad for the rest of their lives, not just a couple of months.
“Alderman has got his whole life ahead of him. He is going to live happily ever after.
“There has been no justice. I feel the past two weeks have been pointless."
