Fist as deadly as a gun, says father of paramedic killed by one punch

A London paramedic was killed by a single punch to the face in an unprovoked attack.

James Hodgkinson, 28, from Islington, was attacked after a day watching England cricketers take on India at Trent Bridge in Nottingham.

He went on to several pubs near the ground in the evening and was about to leave one bar with his father, David, and brother, Philip, 26, when Jacob Dunne hit him, knocking him over and causing him to strike his head on the pavement. He died nine days later in hospital.

Dunne, 19, from Nottingham, has admitted manslaughter and faces a lengthy jail term when he is sentenced at Nottingham crown court on Friday for the attack on July 31.

Today Mr Hodgkinson's father said of the night of the attack: "There had been no trouble. Everyone was having a good time. It was a totally unprovoked attack - one punch. There had been no previous interaction with this boy at all. He has not explained why he did it.

"James was just talking to another lad and this boy [Dunne] just ran and hit James as hard as he possibly could in the face, and then ran off. James was just standing there and was obviously not prepared to defend himself because he had no reason to."

"He hit his head falling to the pavement. The force of the punch meant he was unconscious before he hit the pavement. I can't make any sense of it. I am hoping maybe, in time, this lad will explain. The message we want to get across is that your fist can be as deadly a weapon as having a knife or a gun."

Mr Hodgkinson's mother, Joan, said: "James was very caring. He was our best friend." London Ambulance Service provided four outriders for the funeral cortège from the family home in Ipswich for the local burial.