Punch killed close friend

Jason Wadsworth

1 More Image(s) In Gallery

AN all-night drinking binge involving two close pals ended in tragedy, when one of them ­- high on vodka ­- felled the other with a single punch to the head.

David McMillan (41) dropped to the floor with a fracture to the top of his spine, and a traumatic bleed to a neck artery. A post mortem later revealed that because of the force of the blow, death would have been virtually instantaneous.

Manchester's Minshull Street Crown Court was told that for hours before the incident at around 2am on Friday, January 6, at Mr McMillan's home in Royton, he and his close pal Jason Wadsworth had been amicably getting more and more drunk together. The court was told that for a reason still unknown, 28-year old Wadsworth suddenly snapped, and lashed out with his fist.

Other occupants of the house, on Kensington Avenue, were woken by him shouting hysterically: "I've hit him. He won't wake up."

Sentencing him to four years and three months for manslaughter, Judge John Potter told a packed courtroom: "There is very little I can say or do that will make his death any easier to bear for those close to him."

He described father-of-four Mr McMillan ­- known to friends and family as "Mackie" ­- as a devoted family man, saying: "His loss will have a devastating effect."

Judge Potter said it remained unclear what prompted the fatal blow, but told Wadsworth: "Your intake of a very substantial amount of alcohol must have played a part."

The court had been told that Wadsworth, of Kibworth Road, Blackley, has previous convictions including offences of violence, and has been convicted of drink-driving three times.

The judge said in deciding on sentence, he had taken account of the facts that he had not intended to cause serious injury, had shown immediate remorse, and remained in the house, doing his best to help after striking the blow.

Mark Kellet, prosecuting, had told the court that Mr McMillan had been drinking with Wadsworth and his father Gary, along with another man at The Bluebell pub in Shaw on Thursday, January 5.

Mr McMillan's partner Rachel Varley picked up the pair and took them back to Royton, stopping for vodka, lager and cigarettes en route.

Both men were obviously drunk as the night wore on, and Wadsworth was seen slugging vodka straight from the bottle in the kitchen.

He was heard to make a remark about the dangers of alcohol making him emotional, and Mr McMillan laughed at him, punching his arm, and telling him not to be a "wimp".

Wadsworth later went out to obtain more vodka and eventually he and Mr McMillan were left talking and drinking together.

After the blow was struck, Wadsworth claimed his friend had attempted to hit him with a bottle, saying he had raised an arm to defend himself, then punched him just once.

He was heard to say: "What shall I do, I'm going to kill myself. They need to take me away. It's my fault."

Wadsworth became aggressive when police arrived, and when told he was being arrested on suspicion of murder, he replied: "Are you joking?"

Rachel Varley said in a statement to police that she could not express how her partner's death had affected her, and she felt "overwhelmed" by the sense of loss.

Mark George QC, defending, said what happened had been a spontaneous outbreak of violence, but there had been a complete lack of intent to cause harm, let alone kill his friend.

Wadsworth, who had pleaded guilty to manslaughter at the earliest opportunity, was told he must serve half his term in prison, and the remainder on licence.