A remorseless 'thug' who killed an innocent shopper with a single punch to the face in a 'needless and unprovoked attack' has been jailed for manslaughter. Michael Hannan, 32, boasted about striking James O’Hara, 45, after leaving him with a fractured skull, nose and eye socket.
James had walked past Hannan by chance and was carrying an LP he’d bought in a charity shop in Barrowford, Lancashire, when he was attacked on October 19, 2021. But the force of the punch knocked him to the ground unconscious, where he hit his head against the pavement before Hannan ran away.
Hannon went on to send bare-chested, muscle-flexing photos less than two hours later to his pals and bragged about the incident in text messages. James was taken to hospital and released after receiving treatment, but tragically died 10 days later from acute bacterial meningitis. Police said the meningitis developed due to his head injuries.
Hannan, of Blackburn, admitted manslaughter and was jailed on Thursday for five years four months at Preston Crown Court. James family said he would “never be forgotten” while adding that their world had been “devastated” by Hannan’s actions. They said the sentence gave "some sort of closure", but they would be "forever broken-hearted at the cruel and needless way we lost James".
In a statement released by police, they said: “One thing we can all hold on to is that Jay will never be forgotten because he left us all so much to remember. We will carry those memories in our hearts forever.”
Hannan pleaded guilty to the killing on the first day of his trial. Lancashire Police said Hannan did not know James, who was "merely" walking past him holding a carrier bag containing an LP he had bought from a nearby charity shop.
They said Hannan punched him to the ground and then ran off, "leaving Mr O’Hara unconscious on the floor". A police investigation found he sent a photograph to friends of himself bare-chested and flexing his muscles less than two hours later. He also sent other messages, boasting about what he had done, the force said.
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Detective Chief Inspector Mark Haworth-Oates said Hannan had “showed no remorse” for his actions.
He said: “My thoughts today are first and foremost with the family and loved ones of James O’Hara. They have lost a family member and friend as a result of a needless, unprovoked and vicious assault.
“James O ‘Hara posed no threat whatsoever to Michael Hannan, who punched him with such force that he inflicted the injuries that would sadly lead to his death. He then went on to disgracefully revel in what he had done and showed no remorse and only accepted his guilt on the day of his trial.”
