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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Kieren Williams & Aaran Lennox

Mum wants everyone to see horror video of her son being killed by a single punch

A heartbroken mum has said she wants everyone to see the awful footage of her son being killed in a single punch.

Becky White’s son, Dean Skilin, 20, was killed by a single punch thrown by Brandon Sillence back in September 2020.

It happened outside the Waverley Hotel in Bangor, NorthWalesLive reported .

In the footage Dean can be seen trying to act as peacemaker to defuse an altercation between his cousin Taylor Lock and another man outside the pub.

The CCTV shows the moment that 25-year-old Silllence threw the “forceful, swinging punch” from behind, knocking Dean backwards without warning.

He went on to assault Mr Lock.

Dean Skilin, 20 (Rachel Lock)

Boxing enthusiast Sillence, from Bangor, was found guilty of manslaughter and sentenced to 10 years in prison in December 2021.

He also admitted to assault causing actual bodily harm on Mr Lock.

Dean's family took the incredibly difficult decision to share the moment Dean was killed as they step up their campaign for tougher sentences for single-punch killers.

They have launched a petition, signed by more than 17,000, calling on the UK Government to change the sentencing for one-punch assaults so that it matches that for murder convictions.

Deans’ mum, Becky explained why she shared the footage on Facebook : “I wanted to put it out there that when my son was killed there was no fight or words exchanged between Dean and Brandon."

He was in fact trying to prevent a fight breaking out between his cousin and a friend of Sillence, she added.

Brandon Silence, 25, threw the killer punch (North Wales Police)

“You can clearly see by the video that the police have released, that Brandon 'Coward' Sillence punched my son from behind.

“Dean couldn’t even see it coming, it killed him instantly because he hit him that hard and forcefully.

“What sort of coward hits someone from behind and leaves him on the floor, then walks away knowing the damage he had done."

She added: “How is this not an intentional act of violence to cause harm? To all that defended Brandon by saying it was a pub fight shame on all of you.

“My son and nephew were attacked by this coward, Brandon.

“As the judge said he was willing to punch his own shadow that night which resulted in my son's death, and affected our family lives forever”

Sillence was jailed a few days after the jury found him not guilty of murder but the court case and sentence was a huge disappointment to the family.

While nothing will bring Dean back, his family hope to see change which would give others living with the consequences of a fatal punch a greater sense of justice.

The petition set up by the family of Dean Skillin, and can be signed here .

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