Joshua Moore, a 34‑year‑old former boxer, has been jailed for five years and nine months after a single punch in Beaumont Leys Park on 6 April led to the death of 62‑year‑old James "Jim" McKeown. Witnesses say Moore approached McKeown while riding a quad bike with a child, struck him, and the victim later died in hospital from blunt‑force head injuries. Moore pleaded guilty to manslaughter, claimed self‑defence and attempted to surrender to police about 70 minutes after the incident; phone evidence showed a deleted Snapchat of the victim receiving CPR. McKeown's family gave emotional victim impact statements describing lasting grief.
Former Boxer Jailed After Single Punch Kills 62-Year-Old In Leicester Park
James McKeown died in hospital after he was found unconscious in Beaumont Leys Park [Leicestershire Police]
Leicester, 6 April — A former professional boxer has been sentenced after a single punch during a chance encounter in Beaumont Leys Park led to the death of 62‑year‑old grandfather James "Jim" McKeown.
Joshua Moore, 34, of Fowler Close, Beaumont Leys, was riding a quad bike with a young child when he confronted McKeown as the grandfather walked home from a pub. Witnesses told the court Moore drove the quad at what several teenagers described as an excessive speed for a park setting. After a brief exchange, Moore turned the vehicle, parked in front of McKeown and struck him with a single punch. McKeown fell, hitting his head, and was later found unconscious.
A dog walker discovered McKeown minutes later, called 999 and began CPR. He was taken to Leicester Royal Infirmary but was pronounced dead shortly afterwards. A post‑mortem examination recorded a facial injury and blunt‑force trauma to the head.
Moore returned home after the incident and attempted to hand himself in to a local police station about 1 hour and 10 minutes later. The station was closed, so officers brought him back to the scene and arrested him. He told police he had acted in self‑defence, saying McKeown had "started" on him.
Police cordoned off an area of Beaumont Leys Park [Leicester Media]
Police examined Moore's phone and found a Snapchat video, sent by his partner, showing McKeown receiving CPR; Moore had asked whether the victim had got back up. The video was deleted before Moore presented himself to police. Leicestershire Police also noted Moore cancelled a tattoo appointment that evening and did not immediately call emergency services.
Previous Convictions and Sentence
The court heard Moore had previous convictions, including burglary and causing grievous bodily harm; he served an eight‑year sentence for a GBH offence in 2016 and lost his boxing licence at that time. On 2 July Moore pleaded guilty to manslaughter. On Friday at Leicester Crown Court, he was sentenced to five years and nine months in prison.
Sentencing, Judge Timothy Spencer KC said: "I'm quite sure that there is more than an element here of you wanting to be an alpha male - a macho man. You could simply have ridden on, you could have avoided him, you could have avoided any exchange of words and the truly big man would have done just that. But no, you decided to punch him with these devastating consequences. When one asks the question why, there is no answer or certainly no adequate answer and it is a question that should rightly haunt you for the rest of your days."
Victim Impact
McKeown's family spoke of the profound loss left by his death. His daughter Laura said her "world has crumbled" and described long‑term pain at the loss of her father. His son James called his father "my best friend" and said there would always be something missing without him. In a joint statement the family thanked the members of the public who attempted CPR and Leicestershire Police for their investigation.
Key facts: The incident occurred on 6 April in Beaumont Leys Park shortly after 18:10 GMT. Moore pleaded guilty to manslaughter on 2 July and was sentenced to five years and nine months. The case highlights concerns about confrontations in public spaces and the potentially deadly consequences of a single blow to the head.
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