A thug who took the life of a 'loving father' following a one punch attack on a night out gave the court a thumbs-up as he was sentenced.
Matthew Mahony was handed a five-year Birmingham Crown Court term for the killing of Matthew Carroll at Birmingham Crown Court yesterday, February 8.
The 33-year-old had pleaded guilty to manslaughter at an earlier hearing, claiming he was acting in defence of his mates.
The court was told how Mahoney took the 'cheap shot' at Mr Carroll during a dispute outside the Slug and Lettuce bar in Brindleyplace in August 2021, according to Birmingham Live.
The 50-year-old father,described as 'kind and loving' by his family, fell straight back and hit his head on the ground, suffering fatal injuries which resulted in his death less than 24 hours later in hospital.
Mahony, from Edgbaston, fled the scene but turned himself into police two days later.
Detective Inspector Ade George, from the West Midlands Police Homicide team, said: “This is a tragic case where many people’s lives have been destroyed.
"Mr Carroll was an innocent bystander who tried to diffuse a situation that had got out of control and Mahony mistook this for him being involved, which was not the case.
“Violence is never the answer and sadly this terrible act of violence has left a family without a father and grandfather.
“My thoughts remain with the family of Mr Carroll and although no sentence will ever bring him back, I hope they can now gain some closure.”
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