Fenland family call for changes to law on 'one punch' killings after brother's death

The family of a man killed in a 'one punch' attack are calling for changes to the justice system after his killer was jailed for just two years over the death.

"Larger than life" Ian Clitheroe, 50, died after being punched in the face by a stranger outside a pub in Huntingdon on January 30.

His killer Jake McFarlane, 22, of Bernard Close, Huntingdon, admitted manslaughter and possession with intent to supply cocaine when he appeared in court and last Friday (29), when he appeared again for sentencing, he was jailed for a total three years and nine months for both crimes.

But Ian's sister Lisa Jarmany, who runs the Tydd St Mary stores, said when broken down that meant the man who killed her generous and loving brother, who lived in Leverington for over 20 years before moving to Huntingdon, got just two years for the killing.

She said: "McFarlane punched my brother so hard he broke his nose and his eye sockets and sent Ian toppling backwards hitting his head and fracturing his skull in two places, he died at the scene but was revived by paramedics before being rushed to Addenbrooke's Hospital, where he was on a life support machine, which was turned off three days later.

"I accept he did not mean to kill my brother, but we believe the punch was malicious and was such a vicious blow to have fractured his nose and eye sockets that he should have been given longer in prison.

"Obviously there is no sentence harsh enough to make up for what he did as far as we're concerned, but to think that Boris Becker, the tennis player, was jailed for two-and-a-half years for tax fraud on the same day does make you angry.

"There are levels set out as guidelines that judges have to follow when sentencing for manslaughter, they are graded from 'a to d' with 'a' the most severe. Our barrister thought the judge would sentence on grade 'c' but he didn't, he went with the defence's assertion it was a grade 'd' incident.

"It means he will serve just one year in prison for killing my brother and because he has already been in custody for three months he has just nine months to go.

"We want to see 'one punch' killings be treated as a separate crime from other manslaughter cases, as they are much more common than people might think.

"We learned Mcfarlane had already been in prison for violence, so he hadn't learnt his lesson then. Obviously we would like to see life for a life so that he stays behind bars for the rest of his life, but we have to be realistic.

"I think if he had been given 10 or 12 years we would have been happy, even knowing that he would only serve half that term in jail, but it would give us some sense that justice has been done.

"At the moment we feel justice has not been done. We were hoping the sentencing hearing would give us some sense of closure, but it hasn't, it has left us feeling angry and numb. I spent the whole weekend in tears. We thought we would try to challenge the sentence, but our barrister said there would be no point so we just have to accept it.

"Now I'm waiting to have a meeting with our local MP John Hayes to talk about changing the law for the way 'one punch' killings are treated, so there can be more severe sentences.

"Ian was a larger than life, generous loving man, he was enjoying a night out with his partner and friends when he was punched in the face by a complete stranger, how can it be right that the man who killed him is only jailed for two years for taking his life? The law needs to be changed, it is as simple as that."