A student who had dreams of becoming a doctor died in a one punch attack outside a shisha bar on the Curry Mile.
Emanuel Gabriel Simon, 33, was killed outside Dubai Cafe in Rusholme in the early hours following a fracas. Described as a 'gentle giant' by his loved ones, he was punched once in the head by 36-year-old Nojan Kafi, who has admitted manslaughter.
Mr Simon, a medicine student originally from Eritrea, was with a group of friends who attended the shisha bar at about 5am. Some of the group were allowed in but others were refused entry, Manchester Crown Court heard.
Another reveller said he was told that the bar was 'full', and they were subsequently 'pushed back' into the street. CCTV footage revealed how a melee developed outside the bar.
Kafi was seen to push and trip over another man, before delivering a single blow to Mr Simon's jaw. Mr Simon had his hands raised in a 'placatory' manner before the attack, in the early hours of Sunday January 26, 2020, prosecutor Mark Monaghan said.
He fell to the ground and became unresponsive, after suffering serious head injuries. He died more than two weeks later, on February 11.
Kafi, of no fixed address, is due to be sentenced next week.
Paying tribute to Mr Simon following his death, his family said: "Emanuel came over to the UK in 2008 from Eritrea, east Africa. He had big dreams and aspirations to be a doctor and studied medicine at Manchester University.
"He worked hard while balancing both his job and his studies and after taking a gap year he had been accepted to join a university in Leeds to continue his studies in medicine.
"Known to his family and friends as Paulos, Emanuel was a gentle giant, easy going, quick to smile and loved life – he was dearly loved.
"Being one of nine siblings, Emanuel was from a large family and his loss will have a huge impact on every one of his friends and family.
"Emanuel was taken far too soon and in such tragic circumstances. He will be missed more than words can say."
Another man, 31-year-old Vojtech Suchy, was jailed for 10 months on Monday after pleading guilty to violent disorder for his role in the ugly fracas.
Suchy, a bouncer who had gone to the Curry Mile after working a shift on the doors in Manchester city centre, got involved in the incident and threw two punches at another man.
"You involved yourself in an incident in January 2020 which led to the death or Mr Simon," sentencing judge Nicholas Dean QC told him.
"You had no direct role in his death, but serious injury and sometimes death occurs in the course of violent disorder.
"Those who involve themselves in violent disorder, whether they think of this at the time, do bear some responsibility for the consequences of those who are injured or sadly sometimes killed."
Defending Suchy, of Deerhurst Drive, Cheetham Hill, his barrister Mohammed Nawaz QC said the defendant had tried to use his training as a doorman to diffuse the situation, but 'deeply regrets' his involvement.
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