A man has been sentenced to more than five years in prison for the manslaughter of a father following a fatal confrontation that began with an argument over queue jumping at a Sainsbury's supermarket.
A Deadly Return to the Supermarket
Demiesh Williams, a 30-year-old father of three, was sentenced to five years and three months imprisonment at Woolwich Crown Court for killing 43-year-old Andrew Clark. The court heard that the fatal incident occurred on March 16 after Mr Clark, a Newcastle United fan, had watched his team's Carabao Cup victory at his home in Beckenham, south-east London.
Mr Clark and his wife, Cairistine, had visited the local Sainsbury's to buy food for the following day. A dispute erupted at the tills when Mr Clark challenged Williams for attempting to jump the queue. Williams initially left the store and went to his car, but chilling CCTV footage captured the moment he calmly walked back towards the supermarket, putting on a face covering as he went.
The Fatal Blow and Its Aftermath
Prosecutor Alistair Richardson told the court that Mrs Clark saw Williams "striding with intent" towards her husband as they were leaving. Williams then struck Mr Clark on the side of the head with an open palm. The force of the blow caused Mr Clark to fall to the ground, with a witness at a nearby cash machine reporting hearing a "crack" as his head hit the floor.
Williams was heard saying, "I told you to f****** apologise," before leaving the scene. Mr Clark was rushed to hospital but suffered a catastrophic brain injury. He was declared brain dead and died three days later.
An experienced CCTV officer analysed the footage and confirmed the attack was a slap with an open hand, not a punch. Williams was later arrested at a house in Croydon and charged. He initially denied murder but later pleaded guilty to manslaughter.
A Family's Unimaginable Grief
In emotional victim impact statements read to the court, Mr Clark's family described the devastating void left by his death. His 14-year-old daughter, speaking through her aunt, said her father was her "best friend" and that Williams had destroyed her family "in the cruellest way possible."
His wife, Cairistine, directly addressed Williams in court, asking, "What type of man chooses to kill rather than simply walking away? You are a coward. You are a killer. You are a monster."
Sentencing Williams, Judge Andrew Lees described Andrew Clark as a "hard-working family man" who was "much loved, much respected, and will be much missed." He told Williams the family was dealing with "unimaginable grief from which recovery is unlikely to ever be complete."
Sentence and Systemic Criticism
Judge Lees sentenced Demiesh Williams to five years and three months. He will serve up to two-thirds of that term in prison before being released on licence. If he breaches his licence conditions, he will be recalled to custody.
Following the sentencing, Mr Clark's family issued a statement saying that while it brought "some degree of closure," the prosecution had exposed serious shortcomings within our outdated justice system. They criticised an "archaic legal framework" and claimed that overcrowded, underfunded prisons place pressure on courts to "sentence based on capacity rather than justice."
The family concluded: "Andrew will always be remembered for his kindness, generosity, humour and love."
