Kyan and John McWhir. (Image: West Yorkshire Police / SWNS)
A man who admitted killing his half-brother in a drunken row on a street has been jailed for five years.
Kyan McWhir, 31, fatally punched father-of-two John McWhir, 52, after an argument spiralled out of control in July.
He was initially charged with murder but pleaded guilty to manslaughter, which was accepted by the prosecution.
Bradford Crown Court heard police were called to reports of a fight in Crown Street in Hebden Bridge, West Yorks., on July 27.
Prosecutor Michale Greenhalgh said CCTV footage showed McWhir punching his half-brother and knocking him to the ground.
One witness described both men as being drunk and another saw the two men arguing and a female trying to intervene.
Mr Greenhalgh said the witness described McWhir goading his half-brother as they continued to walk along Crown Street, saying: “Come on hit me. Come on.”
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McWhir was said to have been in a “boxing stance” and when his half-brother tried to hit him the defendant punched him on the chin.
Mr Greenhalgh said: “John McWhir’s legs buckled and he fell back to the floor, the back of his head hitting the ground.
“The witness described hearing a crack as he did so and the defendant continued along Crown Street.”
An off-duty doctor started CPR on John, but when an ambulance crew arrived they found that his heart had stopped.
Further treatment restarted his heart, but a CT scan at hospital revealed bleeding and swelling to the brain.
Doctors said the injury was unsurvivable and he was pronounced dead in hospital two days later.
A post mortem recorded the cause of death as a head injury resulting in a rupture to an artery at the base of the brain.
The court heard the most likely cause was either the blow to the head from McWhir or the deceased’s head hitting the ground, but it was not possible to say which.
During a police interview, McWhir said: “I never intended for this to happen. I love my brother.”
McWhir’s barrister Michelle Colborne KC read from a letter in which he said there wasn’t a moment of each day that he didn’t think about his brother and he was “sorry beyond words”.
Jailing McWhir for five years on Monday, Judge Jonathan Gibson said John’s death had had an “immense” impact on his family.
The court heard McWhir had previously been jailed for six years in 2015 for causing the death of newly-married retired prison officer Chris Smith.
McWhir, then aged 22, ploughed into Mr Smith in his Volkswagen Polo as he tried to cross Albert Street in Hebden Bridge in October 2014.
After hitting Mr Smith, McWhir ignored shouts to stop from members of the public and ran off. He was later arrested and told police: “I panicked and ran off. I’m sorry.”
McWhir’s lawyer at the time said he was guilt-ridden and the incident was something he would have to live with for the rest of his life.