A MAN has been jailed for seven years after he killed his friend with a ‘karate chop’.

Stephen Whittle, of Barrymore Avenue, was convicted of manslaughter on Monday following a five-day trial at Chester Crown Court.

Victim John Wright (pictured below), aged 45 and a father-of-three, was found dead at a house in Latchford on March 4.

He was said to have died as a result of sustained beating and subsequent trauma to his head and neck.

Mr Wright and Whittle had been staying at mutual friend John Bailey’s Slater Street home and the trio had spent the day drinking vodka and cider there.

During the course of the evening Whittle, a father-of-one, attacked Mr Wright, inflicting a number of blows that resulted in his death.

Whittle, aged 30, initially told police he had gone out and come back to find Mr Wright collapsed on the floor.

Later he changed his account, stating he had argued with Mr Wright over a bottle of vodka, during which Mr Wright had threatened to stab him with a knife.

Whittle claimed Mr Wright, known as Clog to friends, then tried to punch him but missed so he retaliated by hitting him once in self-defence, causing him to fall to the floor.

Simon Medland QC, prosecuting, explained how Whittle, whose young son was in an upstairs bedroom at the time, had lied about the need to defend himself.

He said: “Mr Wright was the subject of not one but several blows by this defendant, delivered in quick succession.

“One of these blows would have been severe, severe enough to fracture the bony cartilage protecting part of the throat.

“It was conceivably a karate chop of severe force.”

Medical evidence revealed that a bone in Mr Wright’s throat had been broken, causing the artery to burst.

These records also showed that Whittle had no injuries following the incident, other than to his hands.

He was also seen licking his hands, a way of concealing DNA evidence, according to Mr Medland.

A photo was shown of Mr Wright’s bloody dentures, found next to his body after being knocked from his mouth.

Following the assault Whittle woke Mr Bailey up in a panic and told him to call an ambulance.

Mr Bailey found Mr Wright, who he had known for 30 years, lying on the floor of his living room and tried and failed to revive him.

He was pronounced dead by paramedics, who arrived on the scene just before 10pm.

Mr Wright had been staying at Slater Street with Mr Bailey for a week prior to his death following an argument with his partner Nicole Morris.

Senior investigating officer Det Insp Dougie Shaw said: “Mr Wright had clearly been severely beaten and the injuries he suffered could not have been the result of only one punch as Whittle claimed.

“Whittle’s actions have resulted in Mr Wright’s children being left without a father and our thoughts are with his family at this time.

“I hope seeing Whittle punished for his actions goes some way in helping them seek some sort of closure on what is a terrible episode in their lives.”