A man who fatally struck his best friend with a single punch during a drunken argument has been sentenced to prison.
Jay Webster, who attacked Benjamin Lloyd, was found dead the following day at a property in Abertridwr, Caerphilly. Webster admitted to manslaughter and received a sentence of five years and three months at Cardiff Crown Court.
Eyewitnesses observed the altercation outside a library, describing the moment Mr. Lloyd was knocked down by the punch as a horrifying sound. Curtis Jeremiah, a witness, recalled the impact, stating, “It was almost like the sound of a snap as his head hit the ground.”
CCTV footage presented in court captured the incident on April 1st. The prosecution explained that Webster pushed Mr. Lloyd against a window, after which Mr. Lloyd attempted two swings but missed. Webster then delivered a punch to the left side of Mr. Lloyd’s face, causing him to fall to the ground.
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Following the altercation, Webster appeared distraught and repeatedly urged his injured friend to get up. Witnesses called for an ambulance, and Mr. Lloyd regained consciousness after three minutes. Webster left the scene, later visiting Mr. Lloyd’s mother and expressing regret over their argument.
Mr. Lloyd declined to wait for an ambulance and tried to hail a taxi instead. When police arrived, they found him with dried blood in his mouth, but he refused medical assistance and did not want to file a complaint. Mr. Lloyd was taken home to his father’s house, where he refused further medical attention. The following morning, his father discovered him unconscious in bed.
Upon his arrest, Webster, who admitted to being heavily intoxicated at the time, asked the police if Mr. Lloyd was dead. He claimed to have delivered a “warning shot” in response to Mr. Lloyd’s two punches.
In her victim impact statement, Mr. Lloyd’s mother, Kay Main, described the long-standing friendship between her son and Webster. She expressed grief at losing Ben and seeing Jay imprisoned, stating that it felt like losing both of them. Ms. Main also conveyed that she held no malice towards Webster, believing her son’s death to be an accident.
During sentencing, Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke acknowledged the close bond between the two friends before the tragic incident, emphasizing that Mr. Lloyd was deeply loved by his family and friends, including Webster.
Gwent Police referred the case to the Independent Office for Police Conduct due to prior contact with Mr. Lloyd. His family described him as a happy, positive, and generous man who was well-liked by many and will be greatly missed by his large circle of family and friends.