A MALTON woman mourning her cousin who died after being punched to the ground has spoken out angrily about the sentence handed out to his teenage attacker.

Gemma Midgley’s cousin, Paul Midgley, died on August 14 last year, aged just 23, after being punched by teenager Lee Swales, 17. The attack happened in Moorfield car park in Bridlington at 3am on August 10. Swales pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison. But he could be free by December.

Now Gemma, who works at the Topiary Tree florists in Malton and Helmsley, said: “Paul’s mum is just devastated, and the thought of Lee Swales walking the streets by Christmas is a huge blow. You just feel so helpless.”

Gemma said that she believed that across the country, overly lenient sentences were being handed out.

She said Paul had had a bright future ahead of him, as he had just qualified as an accountant, and had just bought his own home with his partner.

Gemma added: “When offenders are under 18, the sentencing is just so light. The Government needs to send out a message that it’s not right for these kids to use violence and not expect to face any punishment. It seems like they can’t tell right from wrong.”

The shock events of last summer have taken their toll on the family.

Gemma said: “The attack has definitely affected us all psychologically.

“For five months afterwards, I wouldn’t walk home alone, even back from the pub in Malton, and last week was the first time I did that.”

Reliving the night of the attack, Gemma said: “We first heard about what had happened to Paul when his sister, called us up, and all I could hear was sirens. She said they were in an ambulance on the way to Hull Royal Infirmary.”

Paul was in coma on a life support machine. Gemma and her family were with him until the Thursday, when the difficult decision to switch off the machine was made.

The family attended Hull Crown Court on November 11, where, Gemma said, although Lee Swales pleaded guilty to manslaughter, and not guilty to murder, the prosecution said this was unacceptable, and set a date for a murder trial.

The family attended court on January 27 for the trial, only to be told that Swales was instead being sentenced for manslaughter. Forensic experts had found that Paul had died as a result of the injury caused when his head hit the ground, rather than the punch from Swales.

The family was told that because Swales had been in custody since August, he could be out by December dependant on parole proceedings.

Gemma said: “I’m worried that it is not just us, it’s probably hundreds of families, going through something similar. The focus in the news is all on gun and knife crime, but if you punch someone, you can still end up killing them.”