A 22-year-old man has died after boasting to a friend about 'who could take a punch the best' in a challenge.
Liam Morgan-Whittle tragically lost his life on March 25, 2023, after being punched in the head by Jason Thomas, 40, on two separate occasions that led to him being knocked out and collapsing.
Liam sustained a bleed on his brain after drinking alcohol and taking cocaine at a fellow friend's house in Llanelli, Wales, UK.
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"Thomas and the victim started to boast about who could take a punch the best, resulting in Thomas punching the victim twice in quick succession," a press release from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) states.
The press release adds: "The blows knocked Mr Morgan-Whittle unconscious and his health rapidly deteriorated leading to emergency services being called. Sadly, despite the efforts of the emergency services, Liam Morgan-Whittle died from his injuries."
Michael Davies, the man whose flat hosted the incident, told police he discouraged his friends to play the game, BBC News reports.
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Nonetheless, the challenge went ahead and Davies recalled the punches not being 'friendly' and he told Thomas: "What have you done? There was no need for it."
Thomas allegedly replied: "He asked for it, I told him not to mess."
The man from Llanelli has since admitted to manslaughter and will spend the next two-and-a-half years behind bars.
Prosecutor William Hughes KC said: "There came a point in the evening where they began a discussion which could be described as banter but became an increasingly aggressive argument as to who could take a punch better."
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While defending Thomas, John Hipkin KC, said: "Jason Thomas never intended that Liam Morgan-Whittle be seriously injured, let alone die. There was a punch-for-punch game the two had become involved in.
"Jason Thomas has struggled to cope with what he has done. His remorse is genuine."
And giving out his sentence, Judge Paul Thomas KC stated the tragic event was fuelled by 'excessive alcohol and cocaine use'.
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He said: "This tragic event was fuelled by your excessive alcohol and cocaine use which caused you to lose all common sense.
"You were warned by someone present not to do that. He could see the risk. But you in your substance-befuddled state, could not.
"Both the punches you delivered were with great force, sufficient to knock him unconscious, and then to go into cardiac arrest from which he never recovered."
If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence, contact GrieveWell on (734) 975-0238, or email [email protected].
Callum Jones