A YOUNG man who killed a father-of-three when a drunken punch hit the wrong person has been jailed for two-and-a-half years.

Alexander Kane, 24, was involved in a scuffle outside Liquid nightclub in Festival Place, Basingstoke, when he threw the punch which killed Alan Clement in November last year.

Winchester Crown Court heard that Mr Clement fell backwards "like a skittle falling over" as a result of Kane's punch and died shortly afterwards from a head injury caused by hitting the pavement.

Kane, from Coleman Close, Oakridge, sat with his head bowed as the sentence was delivered and Mr Justice Davis told him he had been responsible for an act of "quite gratuitous violence".

The court heard how Mr Clement, a lorry driver, from Osborne Close, Oakridge, had been on a monthly night out in Basingstoke on November 26 with three friends from the SCS furniture store where he worked.

Ben Stephenson, prosecuting, told the court Mr Clement, 38, had ended the evening at Liquid with his friends Aaron Russell, Jay Collins and Gavin West.

Mr Stephenson said there had been an incident in the club's cloakroom at 2.30am where Mr Collins got into an argument with two men - Kane and one of his friends, Mark Noel.

He explained a verbal argument broke out and Mr Noel was punched on the nose - almost certainly by Mr Collins.

The court then heard that Mr Clement and his friends were standing on the pavement outside the club and it was at this point that the fatal incident occurred.

Mr Stephenson said: "Alexander Kane threw a single punch. It was aimed at Jay Collins."

Mr Collins dodged the punch and it struck Mr Clement - who was standing behind. He took the full force of the defendant's punch on the right side of his chin.

Mr Stephenson added: "Mr Clement fell like a skittle falling over - his body hit the ground, his head hit the ground and a pool of blood was seen spreading outwards immediately."

Witnesses told police that Kane had said "I was just sticking up for my mate - you would do the same".

Mr Clement was taken to Basingstoke hospital, but at 3.30am he was pronounced dead.

A post-mortem later found he suffered a brain injury caused by a fall onto the back of his head.

He had suffered injuries including a fractured skull and bleeding in his brain.

Ian Lawrie, defending, said that Kane's actions had been prompted by the assault on his friend, but he had been unable to give a clear explanation for why he acted the way he did.

He said: "It was an unholy alliance of too much alcohol and a deficit of common sense by Mr Kane."

Mr Lawrie said Kane, who had expressed deep remorse about what had happened, was of previous good character.

Mr Justice Davis said he realised that Kane, who had pleaded guilty to manslaughter, had not intended to kill Mr Clement or seriously injure him.

"A woman is a widow and three daughters will have no father and part of your punishment is that you have to live with that for the rest of your life," he said.

"The victim was defenceless. He could not have known this punch was coming.

"This act was quite gratuitous violence on your part, drunk as you were."

Tracie Clement - the victim's wife of 13 years - broke down in tears when the sentence was delivered. The couple had three daughters, aged 12, seven and two.

The public gallery had been packed with dozens of friends and family members of both Kane and Mr Clement.

As the judge passed sentence, one man in the public gallery cried out: "Just two-and-a-half years? He took my brother."