Minicab driver jailed for 'death punch'

A minicab driver was jailed for three years today for killing a colleague with a "knock-out punch" following a row over a fare.

Steadman Wallace punched Mesfun Geremedhin on the chin as they squabbled outside a supermarket, the Old Bailey was told.

Mr Geremedhin, a 47-year-old father of four, fell to the ground - and was killed by the impact of his head hitting the ground.

Wallace, 26, of Ilford, east London, pleaded guilty to manslaughter outside the Netto supermarket in Hackney, east London, in August last year.

Judge Neil Denison told him he accepted that he did not mean to kill Mr Geremedhin or cause him serious harm.

He said: "This incident has been rightly described as a tragic and needless death which was plainly brought about by a sudden explosion of temper on your part."

The judge said no sentence could compensate the family for the loss of a father and husband.

Aftab Jafferjee, prosecuting, had told the court that both men worked for the same minicab company.

Wallace had approached a woman shopper laden with bags and offered to take her home for £4.

But Mr Geremedhin became angry and accused him of jumping the queue and under-cutting prices.

After some pulling and pushing, Wallace punched the other man who became unconscious and fell straight back, hitting his head on the ground, said Mr Jafferjee.

As Mr Geremedhin lay dying on the ground, Wallace had continued loading the shopping into the boot and drove off, he added.