Thomas Brand (pictured) killed his friend Anthony Richardson with a single punch then tried to convince police his injuries were caused by a fit
A thug who killed his ‘gentle’ friend with one punch in a row outside a pub has been jailed for six years after he lied to police that his victim died from a fit.
Thomas Brand was found guilty of manslaughter after attacking 46-year-old Anthony Richardson.
Brand, 45, floored Mr Richardson outside The Chesterfield in Elswick, Newcastle, after an all-day boozing session on February 7 this year.
Mr Richardson had already been knocked out by Brand’s friend, Nathan Aldus, inside the pub earlier on.
Minutes later, CCTV footage captured Mr Richardson rowing with Brand over railings outside the pub before squaring up head to head.
Brand swings his fist and sent Mr Richardson crashing to the floor, banging his head on the ground and suffering fatal injuries.
The killer was unanimously found guilty of manslaughter by a jury at Newcastle Crown Court.
Aldus, 28, pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm. The killer showed no emotion as he was locked up for six years by Mr Justice Morris on Wednesday.
Mr Richardson’s family asked for footage of the attack to be shown in a bid to warn others of the devastating consequences throwing even a single punch can have.
Pictured: Chilling CCTV footage shows Brand punch Mr Richardson in an assault that ended the life of his ‘gentle’ friend
Brand stands over his victim after punching him to the floor. He would later tell police that Mr Richardson had suffered a fit outside the pub
Det Insp Joanne Brooks, who led the investigation for Northumbria Police, said: ‘Everyone’s life changes at that point. That decision to go towards that fight resulted in a death, a devastated family and Brand going to jail.
‘If he [Brand] had taken a moment to stop, think and walk away from a situation like that Anthony’s family wouldn’t of had to deal with the devastating consequences.
‘We can see from the CCTV that Thomas Brand had the time to think about it and he choses to walk towards it.
Mr Richardson (pictured) died after one punch outside a pub in Newcastle having already been knocked out earlier that day
‘But everyone’s life changed as a result of that devastating decision. He’s ruined his life as well.’
The court heard how Mr Richardson had been out drinking in the city centre with Brand in the hours before he was killed.
The pair, who had both been living at he Ozanam House hostel in Elswick, were at Pumphrey’s Bar in the Cloth Market. At around 4.30pm Brand received a text from Aldus asking him to call him.
He left Pumphrey’s alone and went to meet Aldus at the Butlers bar. Mr Richardson and another friend took a taxi to The Chesterfield where they were later joined by Brand, Aldus, and others.
The court hear how CCTV showed Brand going up to Mr Richardson and hugging him.
But then witnesses say Aldus and Mr Richardson started an argument, during which Aldus punched him and knocked him out before leaving the pub.
Aldus, 28, of Shelley Avenue, South Shields, pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm and was sentenced to 27 weeks in prison.
After that assault, Brand went to Mr Richardson’s aid and helped him up. The court heard all appeared calm to begin with but the pair then started arguing.
Mr Richardson became agitated and demanded to know who had hit him and suggested that because Brand arrived with Aldus, he was involved in the first assault.
The argument then became more heated and a barman had to separate the pair and asked them to leave the pub.
Describing CCTV of the fatal moments, prosecutor Matthew Bean said: ‘The two men went chest to chest. Mr Richardson had his arms out wide as he did so.
‘They both took a step back, Mr Richardson removed his cap, they then come closer together and you will see Mr Richardson pushing the defendant away with both hands, causing the defendant to go backwards.
‘Importantly, the prosecution say, Mr Richardson did not punch and did not attempt to punch the defendant.
Pictured: Police at the scene in Newcastle after Brand ended Mr Richardson’s life with a single punch outside the Chesterfield pub
‘The defendant is then shown to lunge forward and punch Mr Richardson. The punch appears to make contact with his face and he falls immediately backwards.
Mr Richardson, originally from the Ryton area of Gateshead, suffered multiple skull fractures behind his right ear, with swelling on the brain and bleeding around the brain.
Det Insp Brooks explained that when police arrived at the scene shortly before 6.30pm, it became clear it was a serious assault.
DI Brooks said: ‘When officers got there it was clear it was more serious than your average run of the mill assault at a pub.
‘Anthony was seriously ill. A lot of work was done at the scene, by police officers, paramedics and passers-by, to try and save his life.’
Mr Richardson died in hospital the following day. When officers spoke to Brand at the pub he denied being responsible for Mr Richardson’s injuries. But when detectives viewed the CCTV footage it proved he was not telling the truth.
DI Brooks said: ‘Thomas Bland was found at the scene. He denied any involvement. He tried to give an account that Anthony had fallen, and had a fit. He maintained that it wasn’t anything to do with him.
‘But police were very suspicious of his version of events. It became clear that wasn’t what happened.
‘We recovered the CCTV from the pub and the whole incident was captured on CCTV.’
Det Insp Brooks said police had been unable to establish exactly what caused the row that had such fatal consequences, making Mr Richardson’s death all the more senseless.
DI Brooks said: ‘They were friends, they had known each other for three to four weeks. They had been socialising with no issues.
‘They had been together throughout the day, with no issues. They had been drinking in the city centre.
‘They went outside and you can see from the CCTV they had become involved in a heated dispute. He punches him causing him to fall and hit his head off the ground and essentially killing him.
‘It was a minor disagreement. I think only Anthony and Brand know what it was about. From the CCTV and witnesses there doesn’t appear to be any issue in the pub.
‘It just appears to be two people involved in a minor dispute that has resulted in violence.
‘It’s just devastating for Anthony’s family. They have been really brave to agree to consent to the CCTV being released.
‘It has been really difficult for the family. It was difficult for them to hear that they were friends and that he has been killed over something so trivial that’s really hard to deal with.
‘His family would describe him as a ‘gentle giant’. He was from a family that loved him very much.
‘It was a local residential pub. We are a party city and this kind of thing happens in bars in the city centre. But this was a minor dispute that resulted in a death and it could have happened to anybody at any time. ‘