A man has been jailed for five years after delivering a single punch which killed a father of four following a row over a phone charger in a Wakefield pub. Harry Mannion, 28, struck 62-year-old Tony Powles during an altercation at the Red Lion on Batley Road on October 9. Mr Powles fell to the floor and suffered a catastrophic brain injury when his head struck the ground. He died 13 days later — just days before he was due to marry his partner.
Row started over phone charger
Leeds Crown Court heard tensions began after Mr Powles’ sister used Mannion’s phone charger behind the bar, something Mannion was said to have “took a dim view of”. The argument escalated, with Mr Powles throwing the charger and headbutting Mannion before being restrained. CCTV subsequently captured Mannion delivering a forceful retaliatory punch while Mr Powles’ arms were down. The single blow knocked him unconscious.
Judge rejects self-defence claim
Judge Simon Phillips KC rejected Mannion’s claim that he had acted in self-defence. The judge told him that he had acted “in drink” and “in retaliation”. He said:
“Mr Powles posed no immediate danger at the moment you struck him.”
Mannion appeared for sentencing via video link from HMP Leeds and was jailed for five years.
Partner describes devastating impact
Mr Powles’ partner, Tina Biltcliffe, described him as her “absolute world” and told the court of the devastating impact his death had had on her. His daughter Rebecca said the family had been left “breathless, broken, and trapped in a nightmare we can never wake up from”. Mr Powles was a much-loved father and grandfather and had been preparing to marry his partner when he died.
Police warn of consequences of one punch
West Yorkshire Police condemned the violence and again warned of the potentially devastating consequences of a single punch. Officers said:
“Mannion’s violent actions robbed a much-loved father and grandfather of his life.”
The case highlights how a single moment of violence can have fatal and irreversible consequences. Mannion will now serve a five-year prison sentence for the fatal attack.
Originally published by UKNIP.
