Published by Robert L Senior Reporter on Wednesday, 22nd May 2024 at 15:45hrs
The family of a man who was killed in a one punch attack in Blackpool have expressed their anger at appalling insensitive headline.
53-year-old Anthony Harley, was killed after he got into an altercation with two women who were parked in a designated taxi bay on Church Street in the resort back in February last year, telling them they couldn’t park there.
The victim who approached the womans vehicle to express his frustration on the illegal parking albeit in drink was punched once by a man who witnessed the fracas after taking it upon himself to intervene. During the incident that was filmed on a mobile phone the victim can be seen shouting explicits to the women whilst falling into the car and putting his hand out to prevent them from recording, whilst the women can be heard shouting explicits back and telling the man to stop harassing them.
“Mr Harley was backing away when he was punched”
CCTV footage showed the victim backing away with his palms held out whilst Fowle threw a pretend punch towards Mr Harley, before throwing another punch.
34-year-old Harry Fowle’s second punch thrown connects with the victims face, causing him to fall backwards and bang his head on the road. The two women came to the man’s aid, and the emergency services were called. The killer left the scene and offered no help as Mr Harley lay unconscious in the middle of the road , it is only when Fowle discovers the man’s condition as critical in hospital reported in the media the following day that he hands himself into the police.
Mr Harley was rushed to hospital where he would be in intensive care for the next month as doctors fight to save his life before the heartfelt decision to switch off his life support machine was made, after doctors advise that Mr Harleys brain had sadly died, a time that the family describe as feeling like a bomb had just been dropped on the family.
“Fowle originally claimed self-defence “
The killer then proceeded to justify his actions in a police interview by claiming self-defence but pleaded guilty in February at Preston Crown Court when confronted with the overwhelming evidence against him, admitting that it was’nt self defence.
Appearing at Preston Crown Court on Tuesday, he was sentenced to just over a year for Manslaughter a sentence that the family of the victim say was shocking.
Debbie Harley, said, “The headline should read Killer Sentenced for Manslaughter not making him out to be an angel, we are in shock from the sentence being so low, and now the gazette put this headline on, which read, ‘Good Samaritan Who Went Too Far To Help Two Women Being Hassled, ‘Labelled a Killer’, we’re absolutely fuming.
In a victim personal statement Anthony Harley’s father Paul said:
“The year 2023 has been a difficult one for me and all of my family. My wife Anne, who I was married to for 57 years, was diagnosed with cancer in December 2022 and she shockingly died soon after on 17th January 2023. We were all grieving and absolutely heartbroken as a family.
“Then my son’s life was taken away in the most soul-destroying way, leaving me without my son and his sisters without their younger brother.
“I remember a phone call telling me Anthony had been involved in an incident and was in intensive care. I fell to pieces and was devastated at hearing this. It felt like a bomb was being dropped on our lives.
“We were asked as a family to attend the hospital some three and a half weeks after the assault on Anthony. We were told the doctors had done everything they could, and Anthony’s brain had died.
“We will never get over this”
“Having to turn the machines off and take out the tubes that were keeping Anthony alive was absolutely heartbreaking. This is more or less saying goodbye at that point, and it absolutely ripped our hearts out. It didn’t feel real, and it is something which we will never get over. As a parent I never considered the thought of my son dying before me.”
Det Insp Simon Pritchard, of the Force Major Investigation Team, said: “This case once again shows the devastating consequences which can result from a single punch and my thoughts today are with Mr Harley’s family who have lost a much-loved son and brother.”
“Losing two muched loved family members has ripped our hearts out”
Debby went on to say, “Attending court was difficult, we travelled to Preston Crown Court , Police Liaison picked me and my sister up and took us back to Oldham, my dad wasn’t up to going. We lost our mum tragically on January 17th, 2023, and then our Anthony tragically on March 17th, 2023, losing two much loved family members, has ripped our hearts out, as you can imagine.
“Blackpool Gazette apologises and amends headline“
It has since been confirmed that Blackpool Gazette has apologised to Mr Harleys family and amended their headline, in a response to a complaint made, Blackpool Gazette said, “It was never our intention to insult the family, we were just trying to reflect on the narrative of the court case . We have since changed the headline and amended your fathers name as requested.
They went on to say that the headline now reads family of man killed by one punch says his death was like bomb dropped in their lives. They also offered a chance for the family to respond to the sentence and the chance to pay tribute which Debby Harley declined.
The family say it’s too late to apologise as the distress has already been caused.
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