Wrexham man jailed for eight years after fatal punch

A Wrexham man has been jailed for eight years for the manslaughter of John Ithell, who died following a single punch in June 2023.

Paul Ince, 31, of Cefn Road, Wrexham, stormed out of a first-floor flat and punched 59-year-old Mr Ithell in the back garden after he turned up looking for drugs. The blow sent Mr Ithell reeling back “four or five feet” against a wooden fence.

Although Mr Ithell was able to walk away initially, he was found later that morning in a hedge by a cyclist. Paramedics took him to Wrexham Maelor Hospital where he died over four hours after the attack. He had sustained a fractured skull and a brain bleed.

Last month, a jury at Mold Crown Court cleared Ince of murder but found him guilty of manslaughter. Today, His Honour Rhys Rowlands sentenced Ince, describing the attack as “mindless, drunken aggression”.

The judge said Mr Ithell was some 30 years older than Ince, weighed eight and a half stones, and was “extremely frail” and “vulnerable”. He told Ince he had lied “to this day”, noting that when interviewed by a probation officer, Ince suggested it was a “mere push”.

Prosecutor Mark Connor told the court: “He (Ince) deliberately moved Mr Ithell from the scene of the crime to distance himself from what happened leaving him on a bench to effectively fend for himself when he was clearly in a concussed state, confused and clearly vulnerable.”

The judge said he could see “little if any” remorse from Ince, who showed no reaction in the dock as he was sentenced. He will serve at least two thirds of his sentence.

His Honour Rhys Rowlands praised the investigation, saying: “The conduct of the police and prosecution has been pretty impressive from beginning to end.”