Man Sentenced for Killing Friend During Game of 'Who Could Take a Punch the Best': 'We Will Never Heal,' Says Victim's Mom

• A man in Wales has been sentenced to two and a half years in prison after admitting to manslaughter following the death of a former colleague
• Liam Morgan-Whittle, 22, died in March 2023 after Jason Thomas, 40, fatally hit him while they were seeing “who could take a punch the best,” authorities have said
• “Words cannot explain the pain, devastation, anguish, and anger we have endured since Liam was taken,” the victim’s mother said

A man in Wales has been jailed for killing a former colleague after they were boasting about “who could take a punch best” following a night out, authorities have said.

On Monday, March 3, Jason Thomas, 40, was sentenced to two years and six months in prison at Swansea Crown Court following the death of Liam Morgan-Whittle, 22, on March 25, 2023. The suspect had pleaded guilty to manslaughter, per a Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) news release.

On March 24, 2023, Thomas and Morgan-Whittle — who knew each other from briefly working for the same construction company — had returned to an apartment following a night out. The two men then “started to boast about who could take a punch the best, resulting in Thomas punching the victim twice in quick succession,” the CPS news release stated.

“The blows knocked Mr Morgan-Whittle unconscious and his health rapidly deteriorated leading to emergency services being called,” the release added. “Sadly, despite the efforts of the emergency services, Liam Morgan-Whittle died from his injuries.”

Dyfed-Powys Police said in a release that the victim suffered “catastrophic head injuries from two punches” before his death.

According to the BBC, the court heard that the pair had been at a friend’s house drinking alcohol and taking cocaine ahead of the fatal incident, and had reportedly been “joking and laughing” throughout the evening.

Prosecutor William Hughes KC told the court, “There came a point in the evening where they began a discussion which could be described as banter but became an increasingly aggressive argument as to who could take a punch better,” per the outlet.

The incident occurred at Michael Davies’ apartment, and he said the suspect had told the victim, “I’ll hit you first,” and he’d allegedly responded, “Go on then,” the BBC reported. Davies told police he had “tried to discourage the punching game,” the outlet added.

Defense lawyer John Hipkin KC insisted Thomas “never intended that Liam Morgan-Whittle be seriously injured, let alone die. There was a punch-for-punch game the two had become involved in,” per the BBC, adding that his client “has struggled to cope with what he has done. His remorse is genuine.”

Judge Paul Thomas KC told the court, “This tragic event was fueled by your excessive alcohol and cocaine use which caused you to lose all common sense,” per the BBC. “You were warned by someone present not to do that. He could see the risk. But you in your substance-befuddled state, could not.”

“Both the punches you delivered were with great force, sufficient to knock him unconscious, and then to go into cardiac arrest from which he never recovered,” the judge continued.

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Morgan-Whittle’s mother, Claire Whittle, said of her son’s death: “What this has done to me and us as a family is something I would not want anyone else to ever have to go through. Liam didn’t have an illness that took him too early, he didn’t have an unexpected accident and he didn’t want to die. He was killed,” per the police news release.

“No matter what I say, words cannot explain the pain, devastation, anguish, and anger we have endured since Liam was taken. Nobody should go through tragedy like we all have because it is unending,” she continued. “We will never come to terms with it, and we will never heal.”

The victim’s mom added, “Liam was 22 years old when he was taken from us. He had time on his side to fulfill his dreams. Those have all been shattered now, as well as my dreams for him.”

“I never thought for one minute that the last time I saw Liam I would never see him again, that a night out would turn into a lifetime of what ifs and maybes,” she continued while paying tribute to her “loving and caring, boisterous, and loud” son.