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A man who killed a friend with just one punch following a "play fight" has been jailed for five years.
Jonathon Cottrell, 35, floored Karsten Holmes at a Margate flat after the two fell out on the anniversary of his brother's death.
After being hit with the punch, 47-year-old victim Mr Holmes fell, striking his head against a door and then toppling into an amplifier, Maidstone Crown Court heard.
A paramedic was called to the home in Dane Road, Cliftonville, but Mr Holmes - who was unaware he had suffered massive internal bleeding - refused to go to hospital for further treatment.
Four days later, on July 28 last year, his lifeless body was discovered by a friend of the flat owner.
Judge Charles Gratwicke heard that before Mr Holmes' body was discovered, Cottrell had telephoned the victim and apologised.
His barrister, Jonathan Higgs QC, told Maidstone Crown Court that it had been a "classic one-punch manslaughter" and the first time in his life that Cottrell had been violent.
"This is a tragic case when one punch has resulted in death, and an unusual case where the defendant has rung the victim and apologised," he said.
Cottrell, of Atheston Road, Margate, admitted manslaughter after the prosecution accepted his not guilty plea to murder.
Prosecutor Philip Bennetts QC told how an expert in serious trauma cases said Mr Holmes would have had a 98.67% chance of surviving his injuries had he attended hospital for treatment.
Recalling the events of July 24, he said Mr Holmes and Cottrell had gone to the home of Simon Wilcocks in Margate.
"On that day Mr Wilcocks saw Mr Homes as he was walking through Dane Park," the prosecutor said.
"They chatted. They both needed to buy drugs which they did.
"Mr Wilcocks invited Mr Holmes to Dane Road and later Cottrell arrived.
"I saw John Boy punch Karsten straight in the face and Karsten immediately dropped to the floor..."
"Mr Wilcocks was aware that it was the 11th anniversary of Cottrell's brother's death. In his view Karsten misjudged John's mood.
The prosecutor described how Mr Holmes, who was homeless, got John in a headlock, "like playfighting", before the two were separated by two women who were also there.
As Cottrell stood up he punched his victim in the left eye. Mr Holmes fell over, striking a guitar amplifier with his head.
Another eyewitness told how Mr Holmes "took hold of Cottrell in a headlock for two seconds".
The prosecutor added: "She said John Boy took it the wrong way, saying 'you think you're having a laugh getting me in a headlock'."
The witness then said: "I saw John Boy punch Karsten straight in the face and Karsten immediately dropped to the floor."
Cottrell left the flat but 15 minutes after rang and apologised to Mr Holmes, whose eye was later examined by a paramedic because it was swollen and had turned purple.
Mr Bennetts added: "He refused to go to hospital. After his death, the pathologist said he had multiple rib injuries, which had lacerated his spleen, causing extensive internal bleeding."
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