Gosforth man jailed for manslaughter in one punch incident
A killer has been jailed after admitting the one-punch manslaughter of a man in the doorway of a Newcastle pub.
A killer has been jailed after admitting the one-punch manslaughter of a man in the doorway of a Newcastle pub.
Michael Johnson attacked 36-year-old Trevor Reid following a row between the pair in The Gosforth Hotel in the early hours of September 11, 2022.
The pair were involved in an exchange inside the pub which escalated into violence – with 29-year-old Johnson delivering a single punch as his victim walked out of the front door.
The devastating blow caused Trevor to fall backwards to the floor, where he lay unconscious in the doorway of the premises.
Johnson, of Rydal Road, Gosforth, pleaded guilty to manslaughter when he appeared at Newcastle Crown Court on June 20 – but insisted he was waiting for friends outside the pub rather than specifically to assault Trevor.
Today, Johnson returned to the same court and was jailed for five years and three months.
In a moving statement, Trevor’s mother, Sharron Reid, revealed she was out with her son just hours before his tragic death as part of her 60th birthday celebrations.
She said: “Trevor was taken from me in a completely senseless attack.
“On September 10, I had been out with my son, Trevor, my daughter, Charlene, and some friends celebrating my 60th birthday. Everyone was in good spirits.
“I headed home early evening shortly followed by my daughter, and Trevor decided to stay out alone.
“I will never forget the police arriving at my address in the early hours of the morning telling me that Trevor was gone. He lived with me, he was the backbone of our family, and he did everything for me.”
She continued: “Trevor was a kind and caring young man. Everybody loved him, he had a brilliant sense of humour, and he would always be there if you needed him.
“I will never get over the loss of Trevor and no sentence will ever be enough. His life has been taken for no reason at all.”
Following the conclusion of the case, detectives said this tragic case once again highlights the devastating and irreversible consequences that throwing a punch can have.
Northumbria Police Detective Chief Inspector Graeme Barr, the senior investigating officer of the case, said: “Firstly, I’d like to share my sincere condolences with Trevor’s loved ones.
“The last two years have been incredibly difficult for them, losing their son and brother in such a crushing and utterly avoidable way.
“No sentence in court can ever change their unimaginable grief and torment, but I hope seeing Trevor’s attacker being jailed can offer them a small degree of comfort.
“The impact of that single punch caused Trevor to fall backwards, suffering injuries that he was simply unable to survive from.
“Johnson’s decision to choose violence that night not only took away Trevor’s future in an instant, but destroyed so many other lives forever.
“There is never an acceptable excuse for violence, and if anybody decides to resort to it, you are rolling the dice with other people’s lives and futures – as well as your own.”