LONDON (AP) — A 16-year-old boy has been convicted of manslaughter for killing a Polish man whose death raised concerns about hate crimes in Britain.

A jury found the boy guilty on Monday of punching 40-year-old Arkadiusz Jozwik, who struck his head as he fell to the ground outside a pizza parlor in Harlow, north of London, last August. Jozwik died later in a hospital.

Police initially investigated Jozwik's death as a possible hate crime. The case drew international attention, coming amid a spike in reported attacks on eastern Europeans in the wake of Britain's June 2016 EU membership referendum.

The defendant denied manslaughter and said he hit Jozwik to defend a friend during an altercation.

The teen, who can't be identified because of his age, will be sentenced in September.