Neighbour who killed pensioner ‘lost temper' in row over open gate
Judge Sally-Ann Hales KC told Gocan: 'Your unlawful actions on Oct 6 2024 caused the death of Jim O'Neill, a much-loved father and grandfather.
'You did not need to defend yourself – the truth is, you lost your temper and control. You walked away. Mr O'Neill did not.'
She said the attack, which included a punch and two kicks, carried a 'high risk' of causing grievous bodily harm or death.
'He was much older than you,' Judge Hales continued, 'In his shorts and Crocs, he presented no serious threat. Had you genuinely felt threatened, you could have walked away.
'You told the jury you dialled 999 – your phone bore no trace of this call. The truth is you did absolutely nothing.
'Your remorse, if genuine, has taken a long time coming.'
'Haunted by dark thoughts'
Mr O'Neill's widow, Sara, said she had been left haunted by nightmares and 'dark thoughts'.
'Jim was not only my husband for 49 years but my soulmate,' she said in a victim impact statement.
'I feel depressed, often crying, haunted by dark thoughts. I struggle to sleep and have recurring nightmares witnessing the love of my life bleeding on the floor.'
She said she had been forced to put their home up for sale and had not left the flat for weeks after the attack
Amos O'Neill, the couple's son, said he saw his father 'start to lose consciousness' and told the court: 'We never got justice in the courtroom.'
Gocan denied wrongdoing but was convicted of manslaughter by a jury on May 1.
Defence barrister Benjamin Aina KC said the attack was 'completely out of character' and added that Gocan had no previous convictions. However, he had received a caution in 2012 for pushing his wife.
'So very, very sorry'
The court also heard how Gocan was a carer for his children, one of whom has autism.
In a letter to the court, he said: 'I am so very, very sorry. Words cannot describe the remorse and regret that I feel. I take full responsibility for what happened.
'I failed my children, religion, myself, and above all Mr O'Neill.'
Judge Hales told him: 'I am satisfied that Mr O'Neill's death was caused in an unlawful act falling just short of GBH.'
Gocan, who wore grey prison-issue sweatpants, showed no emotion as the sentence was passed.
He must serve two-thirds of the 12-year sentence in custody before he can be considered for release on licence.
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