Thug faces years behind bars for killing former University of Portsmouth student with '˜single punch'

Trevor Timon, 31, had a history of violence before the unprovoked attack on the 30-year-old in Blackheath, south-east London last August.

The defendant, of Plumstead, south-east London, had admitted manslaughter and was cleared of murder following an Old Bailey trial.

Mr Dearlove and his friends were on their way home from a university reunion when they struck up a chat with a group of women in the street who had been out celebrating a birthday with Timon.

Timon demanded to know what they were discussing and told his victim, ‘If you don’t get out of my face I will knock you out’, the court heard.

He then delivered a powerful left-hand punch to the head sending Mr Dearlove to the ground and knocking him out. A passing motorist stopped and gave him first aid but the victim died in hospital within 24 hours of the attack.

Afterwards, Timon fled to Ireland but returned days later and handed himself into police, after confiding to one of the women that he was ‘I’m scared, seriously, proper’.

In 2010, Timon admitted punching a woman in the face, allegedly knocking her out after threatening to ‘bang’ her out. He had previous convictions for shouting at a bus driver while brandishing a golf club and throwing a punch at a barman.