A MAN who struck a fatal blow to a man he found kissing his wife outside a pub has had his four-year prison sentence for manslaughter reduced to 18 months by London's Criminal Appeal Court.

Christopher George Henry, 31, of Chorlton Close, who pleaded guilty to killing Stephen McLoughlin, was sentenced at Warrington Crown Court on November 26 last year.

But Lord Justice Simon Brown, sitting with Mr Justice Holman and Mr Justice Klevan, allowed his appeal against the severity of his sentence.

"Given the wealth of mitigation available to Henry, we think that the proper sentence was one of 18 months' imprisonment", said the judge.

On 10 August last year, Henry's wife, Kay, went to the Bank Chambers where she met Stephen McLoughlin.

Henry found his wife outside the pub with Mr McLoughlin. They were walking with their arms linked. They stopped and kissed.

Henry yelled at the pair and struck Mr Loughlin in the face with his fist.

Mr McLoughlin was taken to hospital with a fractured skull where he died a few days later.

Henry not only had no previous convictions but had excellent character witnesses. He was a model prisoner, the judge said.

Allowing the appeal, Lord Justice Brown noted that Henry had struck Mr McLoughlin a single blow.

"We think the fact that this blow was of such force as to break the victim's jaw must inevitably be regarded as a severe aggravating feature of the case."

But he accepted "it was not the blow that inflicted the fatal injury.

"The fall almost inevitably resulted in the fracture of the skull."

The judge remarked that "but for the extreme force of the blow, the sentence would have been less still."

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