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Patrick Ryan West Midlands Police
One punch
Man jailed for killing his friend after drinking game went tragically wrong
Phillip Evans allegedly encouraged his friend to punch him as hard as he could as he had never been knocked out.
A MAN IN the UK has been jailed for killing his friend after a drinking game went tragically wrong.
Phillip Evans died of a single blow to the head in the early hours of 11 October last year.
The 42-year-old had been drinking with Patrick Ryan, a neighbour, at his house in Blackwood Avenue, Wednesfield.
West Midlands Police said Evans allegedly encouraged Ryan to punch him as hard as he could as he had never been knocked out.
Ryan did so and could not revive his friend. Paramedics were called to the scene but Evans died from his injuries.
Ryan (25) pleaded guilty to manslaughter at Wolverhampton Crown Court on 22 February and was today sentenced to three years in prison.
Detective Inspector Martin Slevin said Evans was “a happy family man until working night shifts affected his sleeping pattern and he took to drink to relax which resulted in him losing his family and spiralling into alcoholism”.
“He lost his life tragically and his neighbour and friend is now serving time for his death and will have to live with the consequences of their brutal pastime for the rest of his life.”
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