Charlie Prodromou, 63, died in hospital after he fell and hit his head when he was punched twice in the face by Paul Tallant, 43, outside The Watch House pub on March 1.
With Charlie on the floor, Tallant then stood over him celebrating the attack in a “victor’s stance”.
Charlie was described by his family as a “truly good man” with a “beautifully jolly face”
Tallant, from Eltham, pleaded guilty to manslaughter stating he had acted in excessive self-defence as Charlie had started the fight and had been causing a “nuisance” in the pub.
But Judge Andrew Lees rejected the basis of plea, stating that by the time of the fatal punch Charlie was retreating and posed no threat.
Tallant was sentenced to 10-and-a-half year in prison.
A second man – Danny Donovan, 40, of Marshalsea Road in Southwark – was sentenced to 26 months in prison after he threatened a “good Samaritan” with a knife when they tried to prevent the fight between Charlie and Tallant.
Woolwich Crown Court heard that Charlie and Tallant did not know each other but were seen shaking hands and sharing some “friendly banter” inside the pub around 90 minutes before the fight broke out.
Family members told the court Charlie had been drinking more and getting into fights following the sudden death of his wife in 2019.
The fight began at around 8.30pm when Charlie refused to leave the pub when asked when a female staff member saw him smoking inside. He pushed the staff member and said he loved her.
Tallant intervened and attempted to diffuse the situation but Charlie got up off his seat to offer Tallant to a fight outside, the court heard.
Tallant’s attitude then changed from “calm down” to “come on then”, the court heard.
After Charlie gave Tallant a “light push” on his way out, Tallant had to be held back by a lady who told him “leave it” – the deceased then threw a pint glass in his direction.
Judge Andrew Lees said he was satisfied that inside the pub the fight could be described as “50:50”.
But outside the pub Charlie had attempted to retreat whilst Tallant followed him in a “boxer’s stance”, the judge said.
“I’m satisfied that you were the aggressor when you came out of the public house and followed him up the road,” Judge Lees told Tallant.
“I’m satisfied that there was no need for you to pursue the deceased after he was outside the public house and that there were efforts made by others to stop you doing so, both orally and by physically holding you back.”
As Charlie retreated Tallant hit him twice in the face, causing him to fall and hit his head.
With Charlie on the ground, Tallant flexed his biceps then put his arms in the air in the “victor’s stance”, the court heard.
When he was arrested it was revealed that Tallant had been “on a bender” and had drunk heavily and used cocaine prior to the fight.
With regards to Donovan, Judge Lees said that his actions “resulted in the deceased being left at the mercy of Mr Tallant, who killed him”.
However, he accepted that Donovan had tried to help Charlie after he fell to the floor.
At a previous hearing, statements were read from Charlie’s daughters and grandchildren, painting a picture of a supportive individual who was still grappling with the loss of his wife at the time of his own death.
Taeler, one of Charlie’s grandchildren, told the court Tallant killed her grandad to satisfy his “narcistic need to prove a point”.
“Was it worth it? Was that very moment you robbed a man’s life worth it?” she asked.
One of Charlie’s daughters, Adele, told Tallant: “That horrific night you carelessly killed my dad and killed a part of me with him.
“Remember this. You made your choice and may you suffer the rightful consequences of your own behaviour.”
Concluding her statement, she told Tallant “I hope he haunts you” and “my dad can rest in peace, but you never will”.
Roy Pershad, of the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “I wish to express my sincere condolences to the family of Mr. Prodromou.
“Paul Tallant showed no remorse after knocking Mr Prodromou to the ground, despite it being clear to all present that the victim was very seriously injured.
“Instead, he waved his hands around in the air in celebration like a victorious fighter as he walked away from the scene of the crime.
“He tried to claim that he was acting in self-defence but prosecutors proved otherwise after carefully reviewing CCTV footage of the crime and gathering a number of witness statements.
“As we head into the festive season, this case highlights the grave dangers associated with excessive alcohol consumption and the potential for heightened emotions to escalate into acts of violence.”
