Boxer who killed man with single punch jailed

Max Skidmore, 37, of Lytton Street, Lincoln, has been jailed for six years and eight months

A trained boxer who killed a man in a street with a single punch has been jailed for six years and eight months.

The body of Eddie Roberts, 55, was discovered in Carholme Road, Lincoln, just after 23:00 BST on 8 December last year.

Max Skidmore, 37, of Lytton Street, Lincoln, admitted manslaughter and was sentenced at Lincoln Crown Court on Friday.

He was also given an extended licence period of two years upon his release from jail after Judge Catarina Sjolin Knight declared him a danger to the public.

The court heard Mr Roberts was walking home after an evening drinking with friends at the Queen In The West pub when the unprovoked attack happened.

Skidmore, a builder and manager, told the court he had spent the afternoon celebrating his 37th birthday and had visited a number of pubs.

The court heard he was two and half times over the limit and tests showed he had also taken cannabis and cocaine at some point.

Eddie Roberts, 55, was described by his son as "hilarious, loving and caring"

Witnesses said Skidmore was driving too fast around the streets as he tried to find his girlfriend before parking his van in Carholme Road, where Mr Roberts was.

An eyewitness described Mr Roberts being hit with a punch and falling straight to the ground.

Skidmore claimed he only used a slap rather than a punch to "shoo him off" but the judge rejected his account and said he was not a credible witness.

Judge Sjolin Knight noted Skidmore had an altercation with another driver as he drove around the streets and was seen acting aggressively in the pub to another customer, describing his behaviour as an "incident waiting to happen".

The judge added: "As Mr Roberts turned you punched him once to the chin with a clenched fist."

The court heard the fatal attack came seven months after Skidmore was given a 12-month conditional discharge for a common assault in a pub on Lincoln High Street.

In a victim impact statement, Mr Roberts' son described his father as "hilarious, loving, caring and as stubborn as they come".

"He was a hard worker who could turn his hand to anything," he added.

"I haven't just lost a father, I've lost a brother, a confidant, a best friend, my right hand."

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