Inmate's sentence more than doubled for one-punch killing

Abdi Rehman Esa, 21, admitted manslaughter in December

A prisoner who killed a man with one punch at a young offenders institution has had his sentence more than doubled.

Abdi Rehman Esa, 21, admitted the manslaughter of John Smith, 26, at Brinsford YOI, in Featherstone, Staffordshire in December.

Esa was originally told he would serve two years and three months in prison.

But the Attorney General's office challenged the sentence as "unduly lenient" and at a hearing on Friday, it was increased to six years.

Mr Smith, who was a fellow prisoner, suffered "catastrophic" injuries in the attack, police said.

Esa, who was in custody for stabbing a classmate at college, punched him once in the side of his head in an unprovoked attack.

The victim fell and hit his head against a door frame and the ground, breaking his jaw and causing fatal head injuries, the Court of Appeal heard.

The hearing was told by Paul Jarvis, for the solicitor general, Esa came up behind the inmate meaning he "did not have a chance to defend himself."

He also argued the original sentence was "significantly too short," even though Esa had expressed "genuine" remorse about the incident.

John Smith was attacked in December and died in hospital

In Esa's defence, the court heard from John Lucas that his client was a "very young man who has had a very sad background," and that to punish him with a more "draconian" sentence would be wrong.

Lady Justice Macur, sitting with Mr Justice Johnson and Judge Martin Picton, increased Esa's sentence to six years.

He will also serve an extended licence period of four years.

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After the hearing, Solicitor General Lucy Frazer QC said: "Esa's cowardly attack led to the death of a fellow prisoner, who had no chance of defending himself.

"I hope that the Court of Appeal's decision brings some comfort to John Smith's family."

Brinsford is a prison and young offenders institution for men aged 18 to 21.