Two friends are due to be sentenced for manslaughter after a Mad Friday reveller died when he was punched and fell to the ground in a Saddleworth village.
Daniel Forster, 24, and Michael Nield, 25, are expected to be sentenced this afternoon for the manslaughter of Daniel Hogan in Uppermill.
Nield was on trial at Manchester Crown Court this week accused of murder, but a jury took just over an hour to unanimously find him not guilty.
He appeared to break down and was visibly emotional in the dock as the jury foreman delivered the verdict.
Forster and Nield both pleaded guilty to manslaughter ahead of the trial. Prosecutors accepted Forster's plea.
The court heard how Mr Hogan, 34, affectionately known as the 'BFG', had been out with colleagues celebrating the last working day before Christmas.
The group had been out since about noon, on a pub crawl around Oldham and then into Uppermill.
The court was told he was 'extremely drunk' and was unable to defend himself.
Mr Hogan, who was originally from Rochdale but had been living in Saddleworth, had become separated from his group and was said to be 'making a nuisance of himself', asking a number of people for cocaine.
He came across Nield and Forster at about 11pm, two friends who were also out on High Street in Uppermill, Oldham, on Friday, December 21 last year.
After asking if they had any cocaine, Nield and Forster agreed that if Mr Hogan 'continued being cheeky' that they would 'batter' him, prosecutors said.
Both men threw punches at Mr Hogan shortly after. Forster's punch didn't land much impact, but Nield's blow to the face broke his nose and caused him to fall to the floor flat on his back, banging his head on the ground.
He suffered a cardiac arrest, and died the following day.
Nield, of Society Street, Shaw, Oldham, and Forster, of Ashfield Crescent, Springhead, Oldham, are expected to be sentenced at 2pm.
