A KILLER was today jailed for six-and-a-half years for what a judge described as “repeated violence” against his stepfather's drinking friend.

Christopher Morgan punched, kicked and stamped on Jonathan Gilbert during a row at the victim's home in Crook, County Durham, on April 20.

Mr Gilbert, a 43-year-old alcoholic who shared his home with Morgan's stepfather, David Pinder, died from head injuries ten days after the attack.

Morgan, 24, of Thornfield Road, Consett, was found guilty of manslaughter after a five-day trial at Teesside Crown Court earlier this month.

He returned to be sentenced today, and was told by Judge Simon Bourne-Arton, QC, that there were a number of aggravating features to his case.

The judge told the unemployed crisp factory worker: “This was repeated violence, repeated punches and repeated stamps and kicks.

“You stamped at least twice on his head – deliberately aimed at his head. You were drunk. That is not an excuse, but an aggravating feature.

“I accept that this was not pre-planned, and I accept this was one act of spontaneous violence, over a short period of time.

“This is not a case comparable to those cases which have the expression 'one-punch manslaughter'. This was more serious violence than that.”

During the trial, Morgan insisted that he did not intend to cause his Mr Gilbert any harm, and told the jury: “He was a good friend of mine.”

A dispute between the two men arose a week before the attack when father-of-two Mr Gilbert is said to have called Morgan “a half-breed”.

On the day of the attack, Morgan had travelled to Crook from Consett to drink with friends – one of whom was celebrating a birthday.

He downed cider, lager and vodka and taken amphetamine and mephedrone, and was “still out of it” when he was arrested the next day.