Brother of 'one-punch' death victim in anti-violence campaign

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David Coxon (left) and Dr Jonny CoxonImage source, Coxon family photo
Image caption,

Dr Jonny Coxon (right) said the last time he saw his brother (left) was in a morgue

The brother of a man who was killed by a single punch is supporting a police campaign highlighting the consequences of confrontation and violence.

David Coxon died after being struck at a scooter rally in Dorset in 2016.

Dr Jonny Coxon said he hoped the campaign would "drive home the destruction that comes from that one moment of losing self control".

Dorset Police said four people in the county died from "one-punch" injuries in 2016.

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The force dealt with almost 10,000 crimes involving violence last year.

Its #OnePunch campaign aims to encourage people to walk away instead of getting involved in confrontation.

'Devastating'

Jason James, from Newton Abbot, Devon, was jailed for four years after admitting the manslaughter of Mr Coxon, from Torquay.

Police said, during the rally at Sandford Holiday Park near Wareham in March last year, the pair had gone into bushes to urinate when James "felt something warm on his leg" and punched Mr Coxon.

Dr Coxon, a GP in Brighton, said: "Losing your brother is unimaginably devastating. I still get flashbacks of the last time mum and I saw his body lying in the morgue - cold and lifeless. That's where we got to say our last goodbye.

"If there is a hint of a chance that someone in that situation can remember something like this and pause, take a moment and walk away, I think lives can be changed and saved.

"We don't live in the movies and, in real life, it can take just one punch and sometimes people just don't get back up."

Dorset Police will be releasing a series of videos highlighting the devastation caused by violence.

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