THE jury in a manslaughter trial have retired to deliberate on whether a security guard accused of causing the death of a shoplifter is guilty.

Guard Sabeur Trabelsi, 44, of King’s Road, Reading has been charged with manslaughter and perverting the course of justice after the death of Jason Page on March 31, 2021.

He is accused of 'punching' shoplifter Mr Page causing him to fall and suffer from fatal head injuries after he stole meat from the Marks and Spencers store in Chalfont Way, Lower Earley.

Store duty manager Elliott Cripps, 27, of Ashbourne Crescent, Taunton, has been charged with perverting the course of justice after telling an ambulance Mr Page had 'fallen where he went to run away'.

The trial, which is now in it's third week, concluded the legal directions from counsel today (May 3) and the jury have been sent out to deliberate.

It is unknown how long it could take for a verdict to be reached.

Here is what we know so far: 

  • Jason Page was 52 at the time of the incident on March 31, 2021. He was homeless at the time and living in the Salvation Army Hostel. He was known to abuse alcohol and drugs.
  • Mr Page walked into the M&S store in Chalfont Way, Lower Earley, Reading at about 7.37pm with another man named Oswald Walker.
  • Sabeur Trabelsi, 44, of King’s Road, Reading (who has been charged with manslaughter and perverting the course of justice) was a security guard at this store
  • Elliott Cripps, 27, of Ashbourne Crescent, Taunton, (who has been charged with perverting the course of justice) was a duty manager at this store
  • The store had been subject to a spate of thefts so they had decided to hire some security guards to deter shoplifters. Trabelsi was hired by Professional Security UK and started work at the store on February 3, 2021.
  • Mr Page and Mr Walker proceeded to steal £300 bag of meat and a box of Moretti beer
  • Trabelsi and Cripps followed the pair round the corner towards the BP station in attempts to retrieve the stolen items
  • It is the prosecutions case that Trabelsi 'punched' Mr Page causing him to fall and suffer from fatal head injuries. It is the prosections case that Cripps' attempted to pervert the course of justice by telling the ambulance that Mr Page had 'fallen where he went to run away' with Trabelsi supporting those claims
  • It is the case of Trabelsi that he was 'threatened with a needle' before he 'slapped' Mr Page 
  • It is the case of Cripps that the situation was 'in shock' and 'not trying to cover up a crime'
  • Mr Page was taken to hospital but sadly died the following evening after suffering from 'unsurvivable head injuries' 

Previous coverage:

Trial opening: Shoplifter died after being 'punched' for stealing meat from M&S, a court heard

Mr Page's injuries: Shoplifter 'punched' by guard died from 'catastrophic and unsurvivable' injuries

Trabelsi's defence: Guard accused of manslaughter said he was fearful he would be stabbed

Cripps' defence: Man accused of lying to police ahead of man's death was 'in shock' and 'scared'