Bare knuckle fighter jailed after killing total stranger, 24, with a single punch

Barney Coyle admitted one count of manslaughter and was jailed for seven-and-a-half years at Guildford Crown Court

A bare knuckle fighter who killed a stranger with a punch to the back of the head during a row about an uber has been jailed for seven-and-a-half years today.  

Barney Coyle, 23, tried to scam an Uber driver by claiming he was the man who had ordered it before 24-year-old Jamie Smith – the genuine customer – recognised the number plate and tried to explain the situation to the driver as he was pulling away. 

Coyle jumped out of the other side of the cab and pounced on Mr Smith as he spoke to the driver, punching him powerfully with a single blow in Park Street, Guildford at around 2.20am on October 12 last year. 

Mr Smith’s father Paul revealed how he was devastated to hear about the terrible injury, adding: ‘We could see his brain slowly sleeping out of his skull dressings.’

Coyle admitted to one count of manslaughter and was jailed for seven-and-a-half years at Guildford Crown Court. 

The judge heard that Coyle cowardly ran from the young man who was left unconscious beside the taxi as his friends chased him.

Prosecutor Martin Yale said: ‘He jumped over a wire fence and ran into a wooded area headed towards the railways tracks. Jamie Smith was unconscious and his breathing made snorting noises.

‘He was rushed to St George’s Hospital, at Tooting in London and a CT scan showed his brain injuries were catastrophic. He was put in an induced coma and died on October 17 2019. A post mortem examination revealed he had fractured the back of his skull.’

Moments before the attack Coyle was seen on CCTV footage putting his fists up in a boxer’s stance attempting to fight the security staff outside the Charcoal Grill in Guildford, before taking his top off and shouting ‘come on then.’

A statement by Jamie’s father, Paul Smith said: ‘No parent should ever have to hear the words from a specialist that their precious son had suffered the worst head injury he had ever seen. 

‘You ran away from the scene realising how hard his head smacked the pavement, you were still a coward thinking of only yourself.

‘He had so much to offer the world, he was talented at playing the drums to grade eight, a DJ and he had an Honours degree in music technology. He worked at a top IT place in Mayfair and loved animals, he sponsored a guide dog for the blind.’

Coyle, of Guildford, Surrey, had his head in hands sat in the dock as Judge Durran gave her sentencing remarks.

She said: ‘Jamie Smith was aged 24 years on October 12 2019. His father Paul Smith described him as a young man who excelled in sports, was a talented musician, went to university and after that was working at a top IT firm in Mayfair. He touched the lives of all who knew him, no sentence will lesson that grief.

Shocking CCTV footage showed Coyle jumping out of the other side of the cab and pouncing on Mr Smith as he spoke to the driver, punching him powerfully with a single blow in Park Street, Guildford (pictured) at around 2.20am on October 12 last year

Shocking CCTV footage showed Coyle jumping out of the other side of the cab and pouncing on Mr Smith as he spoke to the driver, punching him powerfully with a single blow in Park Street, Guildford (pictured) at around 2.20am on October 12 last year

‘You were out with your cousin, by the time you made it to that part of town you were in an animated mood. I have seen the CCTV footage of you squaring up to another customer and you were involved in another physical altercation with ammeter if security staff, punches were thrown by you.

‘You were removed but a few minutes later you had returned. You are seen on the CCTV adopting a boxers stance and removing your top shouting ”come on then.”

‘Just after 2.20am an Uber Jamie Smith had ordered pulled up and you and your cousin got in. The driver asked you if you were Jamie and you said that you were. Just as the taxi came to pull away Jamie Smith told the taxi driver the wrong people were in the car with forceful terminology.

‘Jamie Smith would have been responsible for the fair and opened the door and explained that. You got out of the rear and purposefully attacked Jamie Smith. He did not see it coming and had no chance to defend himself in an unprovoked attack.

‘He was trapped between the door and the side of the car, he was unconscious and had nothing to protect his fall. It must have been clear to you you had seriously injured him and you did not offer to help.

‘You ran away in panic, a more mature person would have remained at the scene. It is clear his brain injuries were catastrophic and he died October 17 2019 having sustained a fracture to the back of his skull and a bruise to the left side of his cheek bone.

‘It was just after 9am on October 12 you handed yourself in after police attended an address known to you. You were arrested for causing grievous bodily harm.’

The judge recalled that Coyle had a total of three police interviews, one of which he gave a ‘plainly untrue’ account of the incident.

She went on to go through his previous four convictions in five years. She said: ‘You have an unfortunate habit of finding arguments in the vicinity of taxis.’

Concluding her remarks, the judge said: ‘This offence wasn’t ultimately a single punch,’ before giving a seven and a half year jail sentence.

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