The family of a man killed by a single punch to the head has shared footage of the horrifying moment in a bid for one-punch killers to receive tougher sentences.
Dean Skillin, 20, was killed by a "cowardly" punch from behind by Brandon Sillence outside the Waverley Hotel in Bangor, Wales, in September 2020.
CCTV shows the devastating moment Dean was killed after being punched from behind by 25-year-old Sillence in what a jury was told was a "forceful, swinging punch".
Moments before the fatal blow, Dean is seen trying to act as peacemaker in a row between his cousin Taylor Lock and another man outside the pub.
After knocking down Dean, Sillence goes on to assault Mr Lock.
Sillence, from Bangor, was found guilty of manslaughter and sentenced to 10 years in December 2021, North Wales Live reports.
He also admitted assault causing actual bodily harm on Mr Lock.
Dean's family launched a petition, signed by more than 17,000, calling on the UK Government to change sentencing for one-punch assaults so that it matches those of murder convictions.
Dean's mum, Becky, explained why she shared the footage on Facebook: "I wanted to put it out there that when my son was killed there was no fight or words exchanged between Dean and Brandon."
He was in fact trying to prevent a fight breaking out between his cousin and a friend of Sillence, she added.
"You can clearly see by the video that the police have released, that Brandon 'Coward' Sillence punched my son from behind.
"Dean couldn’t even see it coming, it killed him instantly because he hit him that hard and forcefully.
"What sort of coward hits someone from behind and leaves him on the floor, then walks away knowing the damage he had done."
She added: “How is this not an intentional act of violence to cause harm? To all that defended Brandon by saying it was a pub fight shame on all of you.
"My son and nephew were attacked by this coward, Brandon.
"As the judge said he was willing to punch his own shadow that night which resulted in my son's death, and affected our family lives forever."
Sillence was jailed a few days after the jury found him not guilty of murder – but the court case and resulting sentence were a huge disappointment to the family.
The petition was set up by the family of Dean Skillin and can be signed here.
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