POLICE could re-open the case of a man who died after being punched while celebrating a friend’s birthday.

A coroner has ruled that officers and the Crown Prosecution Service should take a fresh look at the death of Martyn Duffey.

He collapsed outside a house party where he had been after being hit by a pal, Christopher Dean, in December 2008.

Mr Dean was arrested on suspicion of murder following the incident, which had started following an allegation that Martyn had had “sexual interaction”

with his girlfriend in the garden of the house in Viking Close, Blackfield.

However, the investigation against him was dropped in April last year due to a lack of medical evidence.

Now, following the end of an inquest at Southampton Coroner’s Court, police and the CPS are expected to re-examine his death after a narrative verdict by Southampton coroner Keith Wiseman.

He said that Martyn had died from bleeding around the brain after the punch.

He added: “The CPS will be obliged with the assistance of the police to look at this narrative and discuss the case further.

If anything is done beyond that, it’s not a matter upon which I am even entitled to speculate.”

Speaking after the inquest, Martyn’s mum Mary Duffey told the Daily Echo: “We are absolutely delighted with the verdict. It’s been hell. We just want the truth to come out.”

The family is now hoping the CPS and police re-open the inquiry as a result of the coroner’s findings.

A spokesman for the CPS said it would talk to police when the officer in charge of the case returned from holiday.

Southampton Coroner’s Court heard how the 20-year-old was left unconscious following a fight – but instead of calling for an ambulance straight away, friends decided he should be taken home to his parents because he was too drunk.

Minutes later the support worker, known as Munch, died just metres from his home in Cedar Road, Hythe. He was pronounced dead on arrival at Southampton General Hospital.

Mr Dean admitted hitting Martyn describing the blow as more of