A young father killed a “peacemaker” with a single punch as he tried to break up a pub fight in Caerphilly.
Jason Grovell was jailed for four years for hitting innocent Jake Sweeney, 26, as he tried to separate a brawl outside the Irish Tymes pub.
Cardiff Crown Court heard how Grovell, 24, shouted “boom” as he punched innocent Mr Sweeney to the ground.
Mr Sweeney smashed his head on the pavement cracking his skull in two.
Prosecutor Michael Jones said: “Grovell threw a gratuitous, forceful, unexpected and cowardly punch.
“Mr Sweeney’s only involved was to act as a peacemaker and he was of no threat.”
Grovell had been drinking and taking cocaine with friends while on a night out.
A fight broke out after closing time and Mr Sweeney tried to “defuse” the situation by coming between the two men.
As he was walking away Grovell struck him to the side of the head – jumping as he landed the “vicious punch”.
He was seen smiling and “bouncing like a boxer” before fleeing the scene in August this year.
Football fan Mr Sweeney died at the University of Wales Hospital, Cardiff, four days later from his injuries and father-of-one Grovell was arrested.
The accounts office worker initially claimed he didn’t remember the attack but later admitted manslaughter.
Dozens of Mr Sweeney’s friends and family sat in the court’s crowded public gallery.
Many of them wore Liverpool football shirts with Mr Sweeney’s name on the back and the letters Y.N.W.A – You’ll Never Walk Alone, made for a football match fundraiser in his memory.
His mother and father fought back the tears as they read victim impact statements to the packed court.
Dad Mark Sweeney said: “Watching my son die over four days was traumatic.
“Jake never regained consciousness so I never got the chance to tell him I loved him one last time or to say goodbye.
“This will haunt me for the rest of my life.
“Jake was my son, my only child and I will never get to see him start a family of his own, my only chance of being a grandfather has been taken away form me.
“I’m totally heartbroken and I will miss Jake for the rest of my life. Life will never be the same again.”
Jake’s mum Nancy Mantle said her son had never been in trouble and would always try to defuse fights.
She said: “To anyone Jake was a gentle giant but to me he was my baby boy.
“I will never be able to cwtch him or hear his wonderful voice or see him smile.
“When he was in hospital I prayed they would take me and not him – but no one listened.
“The day he died part of me died with him.”
Grovell, of Caerphilly, who appeared in court in a grey suit and glasses with his long curly hair in a top knot, was jailed for four years.
Judge Eleri Rees told him: “This was a cowardly act by you. Mr Sweeney didn’t see the blow coming and had no chance to defend himself.”
My opinion is, if u fight one on one and accidently kill someone this is the sentence i would expect! However, a cowardly and unprovoked act like this one deserves a substantial amount more! No excuse! They have got it wrong on all levels! I hope it can be appealed.
An absolute disgrace and an insult to Jake’s family, I am appalled
That is an absolute disgrace !!!!! 4 years for killing somebody !!! Be out in 2 !!! I am gobsmacked .. justice? Pah what an absolute joke
stinks dont it..druggies get more like..!
What a DISGRACE words cannot express how i am feeling over this …. That man took a life of an innocent how could they just jail him for 4 years it’s a bloody joke , he should have got so much more than that ….. if you drink drive and kill someone you get more than double sentence some cases … but this is really awful . i feel for the family they have been robbed of their son and brother or sister, uncle , nephew and so on .. this means i too can go out fight anyone and whats frightening about it i would only get what seems to me a good slap on the wrist and dont do it again 🙁
Its disgustin u get jailed longer for drugs
How disgusting. 4 years for killing someone with a sucker punch! He will be out in less than half the time.
I know Jason Grovell and he was always a big headed little ****!
Well he has been sentenced now for what a court thinks is the deserved amount of time. It makes no difference what your views are on this but it is not going to changed what happend or the way that all the people involved are felling. So for the best we should let everyone deal with the news in their own way.
I think this is disgusting he took away someone’s life and all he gets is four years!!!! hope the parents and friends of jake appeal against the decision so he gets even longer inside
This is very sad and so tragic, the pain being felt worse by his family at what appears to be a very lenient sentence. RIP Jake and my thoughts with his family.
It’s a UKIP part policy for tougher sentences. They’ll end up using this as an example why. I for one support the death penalty or solitary confinement over a an all-inclusive stay at a taxpayer funded holiday camp.
4 years for taking someones life?showed no remorse plus smirked at the victims family after sentence was passed.
well will see how grovell smirks infront of 3 high court judges when the cps sends his case there after deciding the sentence is far unduly leniant..justice for jake sweeney
He was jailed for what the high court judge felt was the right sentence. I followed the story and attended the court as an outsider.
I was surprised that the cctv footage used did not actually show him hitting and i can only assume thats one of the reasons for the lower sentence?!?
I obviously dont agree with the incident but he was very remorseful and i myself did not see him smirking. There was a lot of fighting going on ….. this was just one very very unfortunate incident that had a tragic ending.
my sympathies are with the family and i wish them luck with their appeal!
wa so you annon think 4yrs is the right sentence for manslaughter hey?why dont you put youself in the outher position if it were 1 of your relatives..how would you react at that sentence?
Ched Evans gets 5 years for a rape he claims with some justification he,s not guilty of,yet this judge thinks cold blooded murder is a less serious offence and gives just 4 years.a disgraced!