Man 'stopped for chips' after fatal punch

Michael Halliday's claim he was acting in self defence was rejected by the jury

A man who stopped for chips after fatally punching his friend in a drunken row has been jailed for seven years.

Michael Halliday, 40, knocked Antony Robinson to the ground outside the Roundel pub in Thornaby, Teesside.

Mr Robinson, 49, died in hospital after Halliday, his friend of 20 years, fled the scene.

Halliday had claimed self-defence but was convicted of manslaughter at Teesside Crown Court.

A judge said Halliday, of Dresser Lane, Middlesbrough, had shown no remorse for his "drunken mistake".

'Went home anyway'

Sentencing, Mrs Justice Lambert said: "You showed no remorse, in your evidence, it was clear that you viewed the enormity of what you had done from your own perspective only.

"You made no attempt to assist Mr Robinson even though you must have known that you had inflicted a serious injury. You were told by your son that Mr Robinson was in a bad way.

"You went home anyway, stopping for chips along the way."

Antony Robinson's family described him as a "gentle giant, who always had a smile on his face"

Det Con Jayne Bryan, of Cleveland Police, said: "I hope today's sentence raises awareness of the serious consequences of losing control as a result of drinking alcohol. Antony's life was taken away in a split second, as a result of one punch, which will forever have a devastating effect on his family's lives.

"Halliday's appalling actions should make people think twice about how much they drink."

Mr Robinson's family said in a statement: "No sentence imposed will ever make up for the loss of Anto.

"The night of his death, he died scared and alone and the heartbreak of not being able to say goodbye to him will torture our family forever."