A MAN in Wolverhampton has been jailed for accidentally killing his friend in a drinking game gone wrong last year.
Patrick Ryan, 25, was sentenced on Wednesday to three years for the manslaughter of 42-year-old Phillip Evans.
Mr Evans died of a single blow to the head in the early hours of October 11 last year, West Midlands Police said.
Paramedics were called to the house on Blackwood Avenue in the Wednesfield area of the city but it was too late to save his life.
It was alleged in the court proceedings that Mr Evans encouraged Mr Ryan to punch him as hard as he could on the head as he had never been knocked out before.
Mr Ryan said it was part of a drinking game the pair were involved in but sadly it ended in tragedy.
Mr Evans had been suffering from alcoholism at the time of his death, the police said in a statement.
Detective Inspector Martin Slevin, from Force CID, said: “Mr Evans had been a happy family man until working night shifts affected his sleeping pattern and he took to drink to relax which resulted in him losing his family and spiralling into alcoholism.
“He lost his life tragically and his neighbour and friend is now serving time for his death and will have to live with the consequences of their brutal pastime for the rest of his life.”
Mr Ryan pleaded guilty to the charge of manslaughter at Wolverhampton Crown Court on February 22 and was sentenced to three years at the court on Wednesday.
