A MAN has admitted punching teenager Jack Gudge in the face before he collapsed to the ground and died within hours.

Karl James told an inquest: “I punched him - it was just the one punch. I am sorry for the events that occurred that night and I understand that a lot of people are angry.”

Jack’s family and friends were in tears as 26-year-old Mr James, one of four people arrested on suspicion of murdering 17-year-old Jack, admitted he was the one to strike him.

He said he had done so in self-defence because he thought Jack was going to attack him in an incident outside Tesco Express in Wimborne Road, Winton in the early hours of July 16 last year.

All four of those arrested have been released by police with no further action and Jack’s family have been told there will be no prosecutions in relation to his death.

The inquest has been told that David Ellison-Florentine, 24, was also arrested, as was a 17-year-old boy who cannot be named for legals reasons. They were with Mr James and 28-year-old Adam King at the time.

Mr Ellison-Florentine told the inquest, sitting at Weymouth magistrates’ court, that Jack “ran towards us aggressively shouting ‘come on then’. He was trying to instigate a violent situation. Karl was the one that threw the punch that knocked him down. He punched him in self-defence.”

Assistant Dorset Coroner Richard Middleton has been told Jack was kicked in the head by three men as he laying dying on the pavement.

The inquest heard that Jack and a group of his friends had been to a house party in Moordown and had consumed alcohol and cannabis.

After leaving the party they walked through Winton and Jack, described as “really drunk”, removed clothing from his top half.

Jack’s girlfriend, Nicole Kearley, said someone then shouted “that’s what you get for being cheeky” after Jack “flopped to the ground.”

Emergency services were called and Jack, of Pilot Hight Road, Bournemouth died of brain injuries and cardiac arrest.

The inquest continues.