Man jailed for single punch that led to death

A man has been jailed for throwing a punch which led to the death of a popular football coach.

George Baylis punched Scott Hendy, 46, in a pub car park in Pilning, near Bristol, on 2 March, causing him to fall and suffer a fatal head injury.

Baylis, of Redwick Road, Pilning, was jailed for four years and six months at Bristol Crown Court on Wednesday after admitting manslaughter.

A tribute from Mr Hendy's family said their lives had been "torn apart".

Mr Hendy was a well-known football coach at The Park Knowle FC, in Bristol, and leaves behind three children.

Nearly 700 people attended his funeral.

Bristol Crown Court was told the altercation between the two men happened in the car park of the Kings Arms at about 00.10 BST, with Baylis punching Mr Hendy once.

Mr Hendy fell and sustained a critical head injury and was taken to hospital where he tragically died the following day.

Baylis, 30, who will serve at least half of his sentence, was arrested nearby shortly after the incident.

He broke down in front of officers and apologised for what had happened, the court heard.

In a statement released after the sentencing, Mr Hendy's son Lewis said his father, from Severn Beach, was the "heart and soul of the family" and "idolised" by his children.

"There will be no more phone calls to ask for his advice, no more texts to share a quick joke, no more chats about work or life," he said.

“I still pick up the phone to call or message him, eager to share something funny that’s just happened.

"Then reality kicks in and I get that sinking feeling again because he’s no longer there.

“It feels like I’ve lost my compass, my guide, and the person I could always turn to when I needed help.”

Mr Hendy's mother Jennifer said: "We know this would never have happened if Scott wasn’t punched.

“However, we understand this has probably ruined the offender’s life as well - if anything we feel sorry for him and his family.

"We don’t have any hatred towards him, we accept he probably didn’t mean to kill our son.

“However, we are now left feeling our entire life has been torn apart and don’t think we will ever come to terms with living our lives without him.”

Speaking after the sentencing, Det Ch Insp Mark Almond said Baylis showed "remorse from the outset".

"This has been a tragic case. A single punch was thrown has led to catastrophic outcomes for Scott Hendy, his family but also George Baylis himself," he said.

"The reality is this was an utterly mindless, unnecessary incident. It didn't need to happen.

"If you go out on a night out and strike somebody - whether you intend to seriously hurt them or not - if they receive serious injuries or sadly die, you have to have bear some responsibility for the consequences of your actions.

"Not only is that likely to mean a prison sentence but living with the knowledge you have ruined people's lives."

Additional reporting by Ross Pollard.

Follow BBC Bristol on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630.