Huntingdon one-punch killer Jake McFarlane jailed

Ian Clitheroe's family said they "loved and missed" a "generous, loving man with a heart of gold"

A man has admitted killing a stranger outside a pub with a single punch.

Jake McFarlane, 22, struck Ian Clitheroe, 50, outside the Samuel Pepys pub in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, at about 01:30 GMT on 30 January.

Mr Clitheroe was taken to hospital for treatment but died on 3 February.

McFarlane, of Bernard Close, Huntingdon, fled the scene before the emergency services arrived. He was sentenced to two years for manslaughter at Peterborough Crown Court.

Det Insp Dale Mepstead said it was "clear McFarlane didn't intend to kill Mr Clitheroe, but his actions did just that"

McFarlane and a friend confronted Mr Clitheroe, who they believed was arguing with a woman outside the pub, Cambridgeshire Police said.

The 22-year-old punched his victim, who fell to the ground.

He was arrested the next day at about 13:00 GMT at Huntingdon railway station, having bought a single ticket to Norwich, according to Cambridgeshire Police.

Officers found cocaine worth £710 and a set of digital scales with white powder residue on them.

McFarlane also pleaded guilty to one count of possessing Class A drugs with intent to supply.

He was sentenced to 21 months for that offence, to run consecutively with his manslaughter sentence.

Mr Clitheroe's family said "the impact and tragic, senseless manner of his death resonates with us every day", as they paid tribute to "a larger than life, generous, loving man with a heart of gold".

"We are relieved that Jake McFarlane is now rightly behind bars and no longer a threat to society, although his sentence in no way compares to our life sentence," they added.

Det Insp Dale Mepstead said: "This case shows the tragic consequences just one punch can have.

"Every weekend in towns and cities across the country, police deal with alcohol-fuelled violence.

"I hope this case will make people think about their actions."