Home / Crime and Justice / Peacemaker's Tragic End: Fatal Blow in Pub Brawl
Peacemaker's Tragic End: Fatal Blow in Pub Brawl
3 Feb
Summary
- 19-year-old Liam Derrett died after trying to break up a fight.
- He was fatally struck from behind with a 'hammer-like blow'.
- Joshua Harris jailed six years for manslaughter; Kai Donachie jailed four months.
A peacemaker, 19-year-old Liam Derrett, tragically lost his life after attempting to intervene in a mass brawl outside a pub in Ilkeston, Derbyshire. The incident occurred on June 1, 2025, when Liam was struck from behind with a powerful, "hammer-like blow" as he tried to separate two fighting groups. He passed away in hospital two days later, having suffered a fatal skull fracture and brain injury.
Derby Crown Court heard that Joshua Harris, 24, delivered the fatal punch. Harris has pleaded guilty to manslaughter and received a six-year prison sentence. Co-defendant Kai Donachie, 23, who punched Liam twice before the fatal blow, pleaded guilty to affray and was jailed for four months. He has already served six months on remand.
Judge Shaun Smith KC acknowledged Liam's role as a peacemaker, stating he had no chance to defend himself against the calculating blow. The judge condemned the "drunken, yobbish violence" with serious consequences, a sentiment echoed by Liam's father, Sam Derrett, who expressed the family's profound and lasting grief. Liam was described as a vibrant young man who never made enemies, making his senseless death all the more devastating.
