A man has been jailed for a fatal assault outside a pub that killed a 61-year-old father

Following an investigation by Greater Manchester Police (GMP) Wigan CID, Carl Sinclair (04/08/1964) has today (20/06/2023) been jailed for 5 years and 6 months.

Sinclair appeared at Bolton Crown Court today (19/06/2023) via live link from HMP Forest Bank for sentencing after he pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to charges of manslaughter.

The assault on Roy Halliwell by Sinclair took place a few days before Christmas (22/12/2022) outside a pub in Wigan Town Centre.

Earlier that evening witnesses had seen Sinclair shouting nonsensically at Roy and making threats. Sinclair then followed Roy to a pub where he violently pushed him to the ground, causing Roy to hit his head. Sinclair then left him in the street and a week later Roy tragically passed away in hospital from his injuries.

On the night of the attack, responding officers spoke to witnesses at the scene and quickly identified Sinclair as the attacker. The officers then attended his address and arrested him initially on suspicion of an assault occasioning Actual Bodily Harm.

Sinclair was later re-arrested, charged with manslaughter and remanded into custody whilst awaiting trial.

Detective Inspector Chris Preston of GMP Wigan Division, said: “Sinclair’s actions that night were callous and reckless, and they have devastated the lives of Roy’s family and friends. They must now live with the consequences of this man’s drunken and violent behaviour for the rest of their lives. The thoughts of the investigation team remain with Roy’s family today.

“From the beginning this was a fast-paced investigation with multiple witnesses to interview. Local officers who were called to the incident and the investigation team have worked very hard on this case and I want to thank them for their efforts.

“Sadly, this case demonstrates how devastating an assault can be and how a split-second decision to act with violence can destroy many lives. I urge people to think very carefully about their actions when consuming alcohol as it can have grave and tragic consequences.”