A one punch thug who killed a Warwickshire pub-goer is now behind bars. The devastating incident happened outside the Blue Boar Inn pub in Temple Grafton.
Warwickshire Police said that Mark Stevens, of no fixed abode, took hold of William ‘Billy’ Carney with one hand before punching him with the other. It caused Mr Carney to fall and hit his head on the concrete.
He was taken to hospital where he later died from a bleed to the brain. Warwickshire Police launched an investigation into the incident last November, with Stevens being quickly identified by officers as the man who had assaulted Mr Carney.
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When questioned in interview, he provided a statement admitting assaulting the 31 year old but denied intending to kill him. Stevens went on to be charged with manslaughter and pleaded guilty to the charge at an earlier hearing in July.
At Warwick Crown Court on Friday (September 22) he was sentenced to six years and five months in prison – and will serve a minimum of more than four years in custody. Detective Chief Inspector Teresa McKenna said that his actions have caused 'untold misery' for Carney's friends and family.
"Billy’s death wasn’t the result of an unfortunate event, but because of a senseless act by Stevens with no real meaning or justification," DI McKenna said. "He may have only thrown one punch which caused the fatal injuries, but the punch was swift, unprovoked, and without warning - leaving Billy defenceless and vulnerable.
"Stevens' actions have led to untold misery for Billy’s family and friends. He turned their lives upside-down and what he did will have long-lasting, devastating consequences not just for them but for himself, too.
"Billy left for work that day but tragically never returned to his family. Their loss and grief is infinite.
“Although we can’t bring Billy back, I hope Stevens’ sentence gives them a small sense of closure, knowing he’ll spend a significant amount of time behind bars reflecting on how his actions changed everything.
“I’d like to praise everyone involved in securing Stevens’ conviction for the hard work and the professionalism they have shown in extremely trying circumstances. Thankfully, incidents of this nature are rare, but I’d like to reassure the public that we’ll always prioritise bringing offenders to justice and do everything we can to protect our communities from harm.”
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