A teenager has been convicted of manslaughter after delivering a fatal punch to his neighbour in West London. Jimmy McDonagh, 18, from Dawley Avenue, Uxbridge, was found guilty at the Old Bailey following a week-long trial.
The court heard that a single punch to the neck ended the life of 44-year-old John Cavanagh on the evening of March 4, 2024. The fatal blow occurred after a heated argument at a house on Dawley Avenue. Mr Cavanagh collapsed with severe internal injuries and later died that night.
Detectives from the Metropolitan Police responded swiftly, locating McDonagh in Ilkestone, Derbyshire, the day after the incident. He was taken to Hounslow Police Station where he underwent four interviews under caution. Initially charged with murder, the Crown Prosecution Service later reduced the charge to manslaughter.
Detective Inspector Rebecca Woodsford, who led the investigation, said, “John’s family have had an agonising wait to hear the full evidence in this case, and while nothing will ease the pain they continue to live with, I hope this verdict provides some sense of justice for them.”
She added, “They listened to witnesses, watched CCTV, and heard McDonagh, who denied manslaughter claiming self-defence. The jury did not believe his account and have found him guilty.”
McDonagh was found guilty on Wednesday, January 15, and is scheduled to be sentenced at the Old Bailey on March 7, 2025.
Originally published by UKNIP.
