Man asked ‘beloved’ dad ‘who are you then’ before punching him outside Wetherspoon | UK | News
Kyle O’Callaghan was jailed (Image: GWENT POLICE)
A man has been jailed for more than 10 years after punching and killing another man outside a Wetherspoon bar because he felt “disrespected”. Kyle O’Callaghan, 30, previously pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Marcus Carpenter, 37, who died in hospital after being attacked outside the Picture House in Ebbw Vale.
On Friday, Newport Crown Court heard O’Callaghan approached Mr Carpenter and his friends around midnight on a February evening this year and asked him “who are you then?” he heard himself ask. and asks him to follow her outside. O’Callaghan struck Mr Carpenter twice, “unprovoked”, in an alley outside the JD Wetherspoon pub before fleeing the scene. Mr Carpenter collapsed and later died in hospital from severe head trauma.
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The court heard Mr Carpenter and O’Callaghan visited the Picture House with separate groups of friends on the evening of February 20.
Judge Daniel Williams said: “You went to the table where Marcus Carpenter and his friends were, you recognized one of his friends who worked in a pub in Tredegar. You then approached Marcus Carpenter and asked who he was… You had heard Marcus Carpenter saying things about you to others. Whatever the truth of the situation, you are very quick to think that you have been wronged by others.”
Newport Crown Court heard there were “no ill feelings” between the two men and that Mr Carpenter followed O’Callaghan outside.
Feeling “disrespected” by Mr Carpenter, O’Callaghan hit him in the face when he walked out.
Judge Williams said: “It was unnecessary, you continued to behave towards Mr Carpenter in a bullying, aggressive and intimidating manner, Mr Carpenter was never hostile towards you at any stage, but you were determined to harm Mr Carpenter no matter what he did and no matter how uninterested he was in associating with you.”
CCTV footage shown on the pitch showed the two men continuing to talk for several minutes before O’Callaghan threw a second punch.
Mr Carpenter had his arms at his side when O’Callaghan delivered the “fatal, sickening blow” to his head.
The court heard that after Mr Carpenter collapsed, O’Callaghan tried to drag the body and slapped him before fleeing the scene.
O’Callaghan later told police he had acted in “self defence”, claiming Mr Carpenter had been aggressive towards him.
Judge Williams said: “Your selfishness seems boundless. You initially claimed you acted in self-defence – of course there was no such thing. Your actions caused unimaginable pain, loss and distress.”
Peter Donnison, defending, told the court there was “very little that can be said” on behalf of O’Callaghan, who was arrested as he tried to climb out of the window of a property in Cardiff just days after the incident.
On Friday Judge Williams sentenced O’Callaghan, of no fixed abode, to 10-and-a-half years in prison with a four-year extended licence.
Marcus Carpenter, 37, died in hospital four days after he was punched outside The Picture House. (Image: GWENT POLICE)
In their tribute, Mr Carpenter’s family described him as a “beloved son, partner and father”.
They added: “Marcus was a very kind-hearted person who would help anyone in any way he could. His passing has left a huge void in the lives of everyone close to him.”
Detective Chief Inspector Neil Blyth, of Gwent Police, said: “I would like to express my gratitude to the friends and family of Mr Carpenter who demonstrated great strength and dignity throughout this investigation.
“I know that today’s sentence against O’Callaghan will never bring Mr Carpenter back. But I hope this outcome can bring some justice to the victim’s family and allow them to begin rebuilding their lives.”
“I would also like to thank the local community for their support, some of whom provided us with vital evidence, for their help in bringing O’Callaghan to justice.
“I would like to remind our communities that acts of violence are unacceptable. As a result of O’Callaghan’s actions, Mr Carpenter was seriously injured following an attack and never recovered, and the lives of his family and friends were changed forever.
“The circumstances of Mr. Carpenter’s death should serve as a warning to others of how devastating consequences a senseless and unnecessary act of violence can have.”
