THE founder of a charity raising awareness about the dangers a single punch can have has urged people to "stop, think and walk away" rather than use their fists.
The message from Maxine Thompson, who set up charity One Punch UK United Limited, comes as footage is released by police of Carl Stuart Woolley's fatal one-punch attack on Stephen Jeffries.
Mr Jeffries fell "like a plank" after being struck by Carl Woolley at the entrance to the Avenue Road car park in Bournemouth.
CCTV footage shows the 59-year-old falling backwards and striking his head on the pavement.
Woolley, 33, is then seen to walk away from the scene while his victim lays motionless on the ground.
Members of the public rushed to Mr Jeffries's aid before the ambulance crew arrived.
He was rushed to hospital with head injuries and died two days after the attack.
Warning: this CCTV footage contains graphic scenes of a violent incident
One Punch UK United Limited has attempted to raise national awareness throughout the about the devastation one action can cause after Ms Thompson lost son Kristian to a one punch assault when he was 19-year-old in 2011
Ms Thompson said her thoughts were with Mr Jeffries's family after reading about what happened.
She told the Daily Echo: "We aim to stop all social violence by promoting our campaign against one punch assaults.
"That one action causes catastrophic consequences for both the victim and perpetrator and their families. Alcohol and drugs are usually part of the attack and usually in the night time economy.
"But people need to stop, think and walk away. It’s not worth the emotional cost on families and the financial cost to the country. Just don’t use those hands as weapons.
"We are working alongside MPs at the moment to pull together an all action party to raise sentence levels for one-punch attacks.
"The sentence levels are a major deterrent for the assaults and they need to be reviewed.
"This will prevent people from raising there fists. No one deserves to be killed in such a traumatic way."
As reported, a Bournemouth Crown Court hearing last month was told Woolley had reacted to "objectionable comments" Mr Jeffries had made to a group of people sat drinking outside a cafe in The Triangle.
Mr Jeffries, who had been drinking alcohol that day, left the scene when challenged but Woolley followed him.
CCTV played in court shows the two men walking along the pavement a short distance apart.
Mr Jeffries stops and appears to study a sign by the entrance of the multi-storey car park when he is punched.
Woolley returned to the scene the following day and admitted to police officers at the cordon that he was responsible.
In his police interview Woolley described the punch as a "forceful jab".
Witness John Campbell said the punch was a "really hard whack" and Mr Jeffries "went down like a plank".
Woolley pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was jailed for six years following the incident on September 13 last year.
Detective Inspector Wayne Seymour, of Dorset Police, said: "This tragic case highlights that punching someone, just like Carl Woolley did, can have devastating fatal consequences.
"Dorset Police does not tolerate violence of any nature in our communities and we will always ensure a detailed investigation is carried out to bring offenders to justice.
"I hope the sentence handed out will serve as a reminder to the public about the dangers that just one mindless and avoidable punch can have."
In a statement, Mr Jeffries's family said: "The loss we feel as a family will never be justified. A life has been taken without regards.
"Due to the COVID-19 pandemic we feel cheated of the opportunity to stand before the court and to witness the sentencing of the man who has caused such devastation and changed our lives and worlds forever.
"We did not get to stand before this man and to look him in the eye and read out our statements of what catastrophic loss and grief we are all subjected to and to see if he is filled with remorse.
"Stephen was a kind and loving father, grandfather, brother, uncle and friend who loved life."
In jailing Woolley, Judge Brian Forster QC said: "This case should be a warning to others of the dangers of using unlawful violence. A punch or a kick can lead to the most terrible consequences for all involved.
"No sentence can compensate for the loss of a loved one, particularly from the point of view of the family. He cannot be replaced within this family and it is difficult for them to live without him."
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