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Homeless man found guilty of lesser charge in death of sportscaster John Noland

GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE@STARADVERTISER.COM

Mark A. Coleman will be sentenced for the Class C felony on March 27. He faces up to five years’ imprisonment.

A Circuit Court jury found a 59-year-old homeless man, on trial for manslaughter in the death of longtime Hawaii sportscaster John Noland, guilty of the lesser crime of second-degree assault.

Noland died June 15, six days after hitting the back of his head on a Chinatown sidewalk.

The jury of four men and eight women deliberated for nearly 10 hours over two days before reaching their verdict. Mark A. Coleman will be sentenced for the Class C felony on March 27. He faces up to five years’ imprisonment. Had he been found guilty of manslaughter, he could have been facing 20 years.

Coleman went into Maunakea Liquor & Grocery store at about 1:30 a.m. June 9. He saw Noland, who he claimed snatched $7 out of his hand outside the store.

Coleman claims video surveillance shows Noland grabbing Coleman’s backpack strap and Coleman kicking him in the shin.

The video, shown at trial, showed Coelman falling on Noland and money flying out of Noland’s hand.

Coleman appeared to punch him, and retrieve his money and backpack.

Noland died of blunt force injury to his head, combined with heart disease and obesity.

Other factors include alcohol and cocaine intoxication.

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