Man sentenced to 10 years for fatal pub punch in Leicestershire

A man has been sentenced to ten years in prison for the manslaughter of a 66-year-old grandfather following a fatal punch outside a village pub. Nathan Gothard, 37, was sentenced at Leicester Crown Court on Friday after being convicted earlier this month.

The court heard that David Darke died from severe brain injuries after being knocked unconscious outside the Crown Inn in Appleby Magna, Leicestershire, on December 21 last year. He passed away in hospital six days later.

Judge William Harbage KC, passing sentence, stated that Gothard’s actions were a tragic, senseless and unnecessary act of fatal violence. He told the defendant he had punched Mr. Darke so hard that he was unconscious before hitting the ground, causing a fractured skull. The judge said Gothard was the aggressor and was not acting in self-defence at any point, adding that if he had gone home when encouraged to do so, Mr. Darke would still be alive.

Prosecutors outlined that the incident followed a night of aggressive behaviour by Gothard inside the pub. Mr. Darke had been there with colleagues from a nearby hotel for a staff Christmas party. The atmosphere became menacing after Gothard made unwelcome advances and...