A moment a drunken reveller was captured on CCTV having a ‘silly argument’ with his best friend before he killed him with a single punch.
Jay Webster, 28, struck pal Benjamin Lloyd, 27, as the two rowed outside a library in Caerphilly, Wales with the fatal fight captured on camera.
A court heard Webster was turned away from a pub for being too drunk on April 1 this year and the pair argued soon afterwards.
CCTV captured Mr Lloyd walking through the town before the pair come together and began to argue.
Webster, seen wearing a grey hoodie, knocks Mr Lloyd’s hat from his head and pushes him towards a wall.
The footage shows Mr Lloyd retaliating by throwing two wild punches that miss by some distance.
It then cuts out moments before Webster delivered the fatal punch that killed his best friend.
A court heard witnesses watched in horror as Webster punched Mr Lloyd in the head before he crashed to the ground.
Witness Curtis Jeremiah said: ‘I can recall Mr Lloyd hitting the ground hard and the noise was horrible.
‘It was almost like the sound of a snap as his head hit the ground.’
Cardiff Crown Court heard Webster appeared ‘absolutely devastated’ as he stood over his best friend frantically saying: ‘Get up Ben. Get up.’
The court heard Webster told onlookers he ‘did not mean to do it’ after they had a ‘silly argument’.He stayed with his friend as witnesses called for an ambulance before Mr Lloyd regained consciousness after three minutes.
Webster left the scene and made his way to a pub – and later visited the victim’s mother.
Mr Wilson said: ‘The defendant attended the home of Mr Lloyd’s mother Kay Main. She described Ben as having been a brilliant friend to the defendant.’
The court heard Webster told Ms Main: ‘I’m sorry, me and Ben had an argument.’
Mr Wilson said the worried mother called her daughters to tell them what had happened before putting an appeal on Facebook.
The court heard Mr Lloyd refused to wait for an ambulance at the scene but instead tried to get into a taxi.
Police arrived to find him with dried blood in his mouth before Mr Lloyd told officers he did not need medical assistance and did not want to make a complaint.
The court heard Mr Lloyd was taken home to his father’s house where he was urged to get medical attention by his worried family.
He refused help but instead went to bed while his father checked on him during the night.
Mr Wilson said: ‘His father kept an eye on Ben through the night but discovered him at about 9.30am unconscious. His father attempted CPR but sadly Ben passed away.’
The court heard Webster was arrested by officers later that day before he said to police: ‘He’s dead?’
He said he had been ‘nine out of ten drunk’ at the time and had delivered a ‘warning shot’ after Mr Lloyd had swung two punches first.
In a victim impact statement, Mr Lloyd’s mum Ms Main said: ‘Ben and Jay knew each other for about 20-odd years since they were six or seven.
The boys always got on really well so losing Ben and seeing Jay locked up was almost like I lost both of them.’
Ms Main said she did not ‘hold any malice’ towards Webster after believing her son’s death was an accident.
Webster, of Senghenydd, near Caerphilly, pleaded guilty to manslaughter.
Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke said the pair were ‘more like brothers’ before the horrific attack.
She said: ‘There is no doubt that Mr Lloyd was very much loved by his family and his friends including you.’
Webster was jailed for five years and three months.
