Thug punched and killed man after thinking he insulted girlfriend’s karaoke singing

A man has been jailed for life with a minimum of 16 years for killing a “timid” victim with a single punch outside a Swansea pub during a karaoke night.

Christopher Cooper, 39, from Maritime Quarter, Swansea, attacked Kelvin Evans outside The Station Hotel in Gorseinon last May, believing Evans had insulted his girlfriend’s singing.

Evans was knocked unconscious in the assault and died a month later.

Cooper’s partner, Catherine Tracy Francis, 54, was also sentenced to two years in prison for assisting an offender following the incident.

Cooper had been drinking at the pub when he felt “slighted” after Evans and his partner shared a look while Francis was performing karaoke.

The attack occurred when Evans left the premises, with Cooper delivering what the judge called “a cowardly punch from behind.”

After the assault, Cooper reportedly boasted about the attack and referred to his fists as “bad boys”.

The 39-year-old had pleaded guilty to manslaughter but denied murder. He was convicted by a jury following a two-week trial.

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:

• Home Office officials spent £10k of taxpayer money on ONE meal at ‘extravagant’ London restaurant
• United Airlines passenger urinates on stranger midway through flight and begs ‘not to press charges’
• Nigel Farage breaks silence after Musk makes surprise demand for Reform UK leader to be replaced

Francis was aware of the assault but failed to contact police, instead searching for hotels immediately after the attack.

The couple packed their car and attempted to leave the area following the incident.

They were arrested the next day by police at a service station in South Cornelly.

During the trial, Francis pleaded not guilty to assisting an offender but was convicted by the jury.

Judge Geraint Walters described Kelvin Evans as “a much-loved member of the Evans family and the wider community” and “a timid, fun-loving family man admired by all”.

The judge condemned Cooper’s actions as motivated by a perceived slight during the karaoke performance.

“It festered in your mind from that moment onwards and that was enough to trigger an attempt to cause really serious bodily harm – as an act effectively of revenge,” Judge Walters said.

Cooper reacted angrily to his sentencing, shouting at the judge: “Go f*** yourself – how’s that. You’re a dickhead” as he was escorted from the courtroom.

In an emotional victim impact statement, Evans’ 92-year-old mother Maureen Evans stood in the dock facing her son’s killers.

“You never as a mother expect your children to go before you,” she said. “Kelvin was so helpful and one of the best sons you could wish for.”

Janet Cross, Evans’ ex-partner, described him as “the love of my life” and spoke of suffering nightmares after the attack.

“The murder of Kelvin has left me with horrendous nightmares, sleepless nights and days and nights filled with inconsolable grief,” she said, adding that Cooper “not only killed Kelvin, but he killed a part of me too”.