JAILED: Man given eight years for one punch that killed colleague

Dean Hartley unleashed a vicious uppercut on Karl Swift in Halesowen town centre, knocking him unconscious. Mr Swift, aged 33, hit his head on the ground and died in hospital two days later.

Hartley, 30, later lied to police claiming he found Mr Swift in a heap on the floor and that he must have fallen over.

After being charged he admitted intending to pervert the course of justice but denied manslaughter.

But a jury took just one hour and 22 minutes to unanimously find him guilty.

Judge James Burbidge QC sentenced him to a total of eight years and three months at Wolverhampton Crown Court on Wednesday.

Mr Swift's partner, Terri Shaw, said her "soulmate, companion and best friend" had been taken from her.

She added: "I can't begin to express the rollercoaster of emotions we have been through.

"It is very dark whenever you lose a loved one and very difficult when it is at the hands of another to make sense of it."

The court heard Hartley had five previous convictions for violence and was subject to a suspended sentence for battery when he killed Mr Swift on September 8 last year.

The pair were among a group of six work colleagues who had been drinking at the William Shenstone pub.

They had been arguing in the pub about football, almost coming to blows.

Hartley, of Burnaby Crescent, Sheffield, later told police he had been irritated by Mr Swift claiming he was disagreeing with everything he was saying.

The group, who had all travelled down to the Black Country from Yorkshire for work, was thrown out of the pub on Queensway but Mr Swift had left on his own a few minutes earlier and began making his way back to the Travelodge they were all staying at.

The trial heard the rest of the group, headed by Hartley, caught up with him in New Road before launching the unprovoked attack.

Passing sentence, Judge Burbidge QC, said: "No sentence I can impose can represent a man's life.

"You will be able to return to your family when the sentence has been served. Mr Swift will not and his sons have lost the opportunity of growing up with the guidance of their father."

Hartley's sentence was broken down as seven-and-a-half years for manslaughter and nine months running consecutively for intending to pervert the course of justice.

He was also given two months, which he will serve concurrently, from his suspended sentence.

Two men who also admitted attempting to pervert the course of justice in relation to the incident will be sentenced the week beginning May 8.