Man who killed ‘selfless’ father by punching him outside nightclub is jailed

A man who killed a “kind and selfless” father by punching him multiple times outside a club has been jailed for more than five years for his manslaughter.

Kejuan Malone, 33, hit Kevin Taylor, 51, five times outside Decode Lounge in Lichfield Street in Walsall shortly before 5am on December 7 last year, with the final blow causing him to fall back and hit his head on the pavement.

On Monday, Wolverhampton Crown Court heard Malone, of Osprey Close in Hall Green, Birmingham, made no attempt to help Mr Taylor as he lay unconscious and instead left the scene in a car with his friends.

CCTV footage from outside the club showed Mr Taylor had been moving from group to group talking to people and “trying to be sociable” before he approached Malone and his friends, who he did not know.

While the interaction was initially cordial, Mr Taylor appeared to lightly push Malone, who “took exception” and hit the victim twice in the face.

After getting his phone out to start filming, someone else knocked the device to the ground and as he bent over to pick it up, Malone punched him again twice in the head and neck.

The final punch was more “forceful”, the court heard, and led to Mr Taylor stumbling backwards and hitting his head on the pavement.

The court was told no-one initially came to help Mr Taylor as he lay unconscious, with some bystanders taking pictures and videos of him while on the ground.

A member of the public did then try to administer first aid and paramedics were called but they could not revive him and he was pronounced dead at 5.20am.

Malone, appearing in court for his sentencing via video link from HMP Birmingham wearing a green T-shirt and sitting behind a table, seemed to be watching intently as the CCTV footage was played to the court.

He looked down as Mr Taylor’s daughter Chantel told the court her family had been filled with grief following his death.

Describing him as a “kind and selfless man”, Ms Taylor said the family had to ask for financial help to return his body to Zimbabwe for his funeral.

Calling him a pillar of the Zimbabwean community, she said: “Since that day our lives have been filled with grief, pain and a deep sense of loss none of us can describe.

“He was always the first to give even though he didn’t have much himself. He never missed a chance to uplift others. He was a man of deep faith. He had a positive outlook on life that inspired everyone around him.

“Losing him so violently has broken us all. Every day is a reminder of what we have lost.”

Jailing him for five years and four months, Judge Michael Chambers KC accepted Malone felt genuine remorse for his actions and had pleaded guilty to manslaughter at the earliest opportunity, but said it would have been obvious to him at the time that Mr Taylor was vulnerable and intoxicated.

He said: “As a result of your unlawful violence in a public place, you caused the untimely death of Mr Taylor.

“He was clearly a decent, hard-working family man. He was obviously much loved.

“He was clearly and obviously vulnerable because he had had a lot to drink, as he was perfectly entitled to do.

“Mr Taylor can be seen moving from group to group in a perfectly proper and lawful manner.

“There was some sort of altercation resulting in his pushing you with his left hand.

“On any view, it was a gentle push and it did not justify the assault by you on him.

“His death was caused, in effect, as a result of blunt force head trauma.

“This wasn’t a one-punch manslaughter.

“Although there was a push by the deceased, it constitutes minimal provocation.

“It must have been obvious to you he had had a great deal to drink.

“This was a sustained assault in a public place and you did not remain to assist.”