Man jailed for fatal one-punch attack

A man who launched a fatal one-punch attack following an argument has been jailed for four years and three months.

Tony Marsden left a building site in Green Lane, Derby, and punched David Fox on 3 July 2023, causing him to fall backwards and hit his head on the floor, immediately losing consciousness.

Mr Fox died in hospital 12 days later.

Marsden, of Lockett Drive in Ashbourne, was found guilty of manslaughter after a trial at Derby Crown Court earlier in March and was sentenced on Friday.

A trial had heard Marsden, 55, and Mr Fox became involved in an argument at about 12:30 BST on the day of the attack.

Marsden left the building site, where he had been working, and CCTV footage showed him walking quickly towards Mr Fox, who had his hands in his pockets.

Mr Fox was then punched once to his head.

The court heard Marsden initially walked away as Mr Fox lay on the ground, but later returned and put the 57-year-old in the recovery position before he was taken to hospital.

In a victim impact statement he read in court, Nicholas Fox said the loss of his brother was "the start of an ordeal" the family was still struggling to process, adding his brother "simply didn't deserve to be killed".

"I'm angry that someone took it upon themselves to strike and kill my brother," he said.

"Everything changed in that moment."

Mr Fox also said he sympathised with the Marsden's family, and said he felt "like a weight has been lifted" by conclusion of the case.

Sentencing, Judge Shaun Smith KC said there was "a degree of premeditation" as Marsden could have avoided escalating "a verbal altercation" into a physical confrontation that caused "catastrophic" injuries.

"That single punch was enough to send [Mr Fox] to the floor, where he banged his head on the pavement," he said.

"Despite your assertions that you were acting in self-defence, the jury [found] that you were guilty of manslaughter."

Following sentencing, Det Ch Insp Claudia Musson, from Derbyshire Police's major crime unit, said Mr Fox's death "was a tragic, needless loss of life".

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