A JURY was yesterday told it could convict three murder suspects of manslaughter.

Homeless Denis Witney, 39, suffered fatal injuries when he was beaten in a St Clements Street house in November last year.

Daniel McCollin, 30, Wayne Cattell, 37, and Joanne Moriarty, 29, are on trial at Oxford Crown Court. All deny his murder. But five weeks into the trial, the jury was told by prosecutor Neil Moore that if they decided any of the defendants had killed Mr Witney after losing control or being provoked, they could convict any or all of the defendants of manslaughter, which would carry a shorter sentence.

But Mr Moore said all three should be convicted of murder.

He said Moriarty, after finding Mr Witney at the house, had called her boyfriend McCollin and friend Cattell because Mr Witney had recently assaulted her.

He said: “The prosecution say that when you look at all the evidence in this case the conclusion is they all took part in their various ways.”

The defendants all said Cattell had punched Mr Witney because he touched his girlfriend inappropriately.

Yesterday a juror had to be discharged after catching flu.

The defending barristers were last night summing up their arguments and the jury is expected to retire early next week.