The fate of a man accused of shooting dead a former boxing champion in a row over smoking is being decided by jurors.

Kanyanta Mulenga, 23, allegedly gunned down James Oyebola, 47, after the commonwealth bronze medalist asked him to put out a cigarette in a Fulham bar last year.

Mulenga has been on trial at the Old Bailey for the past five weeks and members of the jury went out yesterday morning.

He was on trial with friends Dean Francis, 24, and Rene McKoy, 20, but the pair walked free after a lack of evidence against them.

Nigerian-born Mr Oyebola, of Mulgrave Road, Dollis Hill, was shot in the back of the neck on July 23, at the Chateau 6 bar, in Fulham and died four days later in hospital.

It was just three weeks after the nationwide smoking ban in enclosed public places was brought in to force.

Prosecutors claim Mulenga was the gunman and smuggled the weapon in to the bar by hiding it in the genital area of his trousers.

Mr Oyebola was nicknamed 'Big Bad James' during his fighting career due to his massive 6ft 9in frame.

The father-of-two retired from professional fighting in 1996 with a record of 18 wins from 23 bouts, 16 by knock out, before going on to work as a bouncer and boxing manager.

Luigi Leo, secretary of Trojan Sports and Boxing Club, in Kingsbury, knew the sportsman in his amateur days.

"He was a gentle giant, a very nice man," he said.