JAILED: Neighbour killed friend with one punch during 'brutal' game

Patrick Ryan's right hand 'haymaker' landed on the left side of the neck of Phillip Evans, aged 42, causing a haemorrhage that ended his life.

Incredibly, the victim complimented his pal on the quality of the blow before collapsing on the living room floor of his flat in Blackwood Avenue, Wednesfield, where the pair had been drinking heavily before tragedy struck in the early hours of October 11.

Ryan did not ring for an ambulance but alerted a neighbour before going to bed at his home - a few doors down the same street - where he was later arrested.

The victim liked to engage in 'horseplay' whilst drinking with friends, revealed prosecutor Mr Paul Spratt who continued: "He said to the defendant: 'No one has ever knocked me out and I bet you cannot.'

"He presented his chin. The defendant was reluctant to oblige but was egged on by the deceased and delivered a blow to the left side of the upper neck.

"The deceased then apparently carried on drinking and said it had been a good punch as if nothing important had happened. A short time later he collapsed onto the floor. The defendant assumed it was the drink that had caused this when he got no response from his friend."

DI Martin Slevin from West Midlands Police CID, said: "Mr Evans had been a happy family man until working night shifts affected his sleeping pattern and he took to drink to relax which resulted in him losing his family and spiralling into alcoholism.

"He lost his life tragically and his neighbour and friend is now serving time for his death and will have to live with the consequences of their brutal pastime for the rest of his life."

The defendant went home at least two hours after delivering the fatal blow without personally alerting the emergency services, the court heard.

Before leaving he put the victim in the recovery position, threw cold water over him and woke a neighbour who called paramedics. Divorced father of one Mr Evans was certified dead at the scene.

The punch caused a subarachnoid haemorrhage that led to a traumatic brain injury and cardiac arrest. The victim was also five times over the drink drive limit.

Mr Jon Rowe, defending, said: "The single punch was not part of a fight. It was delivered at the request of the deceased in drunken horseplay. There had been no falling out between them. Both were in a happy state of mind and neither could foresee the tragic outcome."

Ryan admitted the manslaughter of his friend and was jailed for three years by Judge James Burbidge QC who said: "You delivered a swinging right handed punch in circumstances which are accepted by the prosecution and consistent with the pathology of the case.

"The deceased was known to enjoy horseplay when drinking. He had asked at least one other person to try to knock him out on a previous occasion but that person had refused to do so, as you should have done.

"You could have punched him in another part of the body and did not need to punch him as hard as you did, but he had requested you to do so. You are described by others as a quiet guy who is neither aggressive nor argumentative."

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