Newport: Jamie Garwood jailed for six years for killing friend

A man who killed his friend with a "mistaken" punch has been jailed for six years.

Jamie Garwood, 33, knocked out Richard Dean Thompson, 44, before other members of their group stuck cigarette butts up his nose while he lay unconscious.

Mr Thompson died from a "significant head injury" in hospital six days later.

Garwood was previously charged with murder but later pleaded guilty to manslaughter.

Cardiff Crown Court heard Garwood had spent the evening of 31 August 2022 at a property on Tewkesbury Walk in Newport, where Mr Thompson lived with his partner.

John Hipkin KC, prosecuting, told the sentencing hearing on Thursday they had been part of a group of seven friends who were drinking heavily and taking drugs.

During the evening, one of the group, Carlos Ross, began to throw small items at Mr Thompson.

Mr Hipkin said: "Mr Thompson reacted by throwing a small tin which struck the defendant on the head, causing a small lump.

"The defendant threw a left-handed punch which struck [Mr Thompson] on the chin."

Mr Thompson fell to the ground, with a sound described as "sickening" by one witness, and was rendered "unconscious for several minutes".

Garwood went to his aid, but throughout the evening his victim's condition deteriorated.

Other members of the group, but not Garwood, stuck cigarette butts up his nose as he lay unconscious on the sofa, the court was told.

An ambulance was called by Mr Thompson's partner about two hours later, which arrived about 00:26 GMT - by which time Garwood had left the property.

Mr Thompson died from a "significant head injury" on 6 September at University Hospital Wales, Cardiff, and a post-mortem found he had sustained fractures to both sides of his head.

Mr Hipkin said Garwood - who had 44 previous court appearances for 79 offences including battery and assault - would have known that his friend was vulnerable.

He said Mr Thompson's home was being used for drug dealing by others at the time.

In a victim impact statement, Mr Thompson's brother Michael described him as "a bubbling, funny person" who was "well known in the area and really popular".

David Elias, KC, defending, said the punch was "mistaken" in that it was "a reaction to an item thrown by somebody else" and "lacked premeditation".

"It is clear that the defendant is extremely remorseful," he said.

"He badly regrets the tragic consequences of his unlawful actions and he will have to live with that."

On Garwood's decision not to call an ambulance before he left the property, Mr Elias said: "It seemed for a while that the defendant was going to be OK."

Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke said Garwood posed a "significant risk" of reoffending.

She said Garwood was an "impulsive individual with little or no regard for the consequences of [his] actions".

Garwood, from Newport, was sentenced to six years in custody, of which he will have to spend at least four in prison. He will also serve four years on license upon release.