A MAN who killed a 'loving' ex-serviceman with a single punch when he got involved in an argument outside a pub has been jailed for more than five years.
Christopher Edminson knocked Eric Hunter 'out cold' when he attacked him outside The Lobby bar, Middlesbrough, in the early hours of the morning.
The father-of two was acting as a 'peacemaker' when his friend became involved in a row with the bar manager before Edminson entered the fray and punched Mr Hunter in the face.
Teesside Crown Court heard how the ex-serviceman's skull cracked on the pavement as he was knocked to the ground in the early hours of Saturday, July 25, last year.
He was taken to James Cook Hospital but died there on Monday, July 27.
The 20-year-old pleaded guilty to manslaughter on the day of his trial in October
The prosecution said witnesses described Mr Hunter as 'harmless' due to his intoxication after spending the night drinking with his friends in Middlesbrough town centre.
The court heard how Mr Hunter had struggled with alcohol after leaving the army but was not a violent man.
His family paid emotional tribute to the 'loving dad' whose death had left a gaping hole in all of their lives.
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- The court heard Mr Hunter never regained consciousness and died as a result of his injuries.
Edminson, of Bull Lane, York, pleaded guilty to manslaughter.
Stephen Grattage, in mitigation, said it was 'out of character' for the 20-year-old to behave in an aggressive manner and had initially claimed he was acting in self-defence.
Judge Howard Crowson sentenced Edminson to five years and three months in custody.
He said: "He made no aggressive move and it was not your argument, you punched him with moderate to severe force causing facial bruising, lacerations to his mouth and nose.
"Those who were there, and were sober enough to recognise it, knew he was unconscious before he was falling.
"His head struck the pavement with sufficient force to fracture his skull and cause internal bleeding, from which he died."
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