The family of a banker killed in an unprovoked attack in London have slammed his killer’s prison sentence as “sickening”.
Paul Mason, 52, CEO for Qatar National Bank, was wrongly accused of stealing a mobile phone by Steven Allan, 35, as he left The Ivy in London, in December 2020.
Mr Mason was knocked to the ground, and as he tried to get up Allan hit him with an uppercut causing his skull to hit the pavement.
He died six months after he suffered the serious head injuries.
Allan, 34, was jailed last month after admitting manslaughter and was cleared of murder after a trial.
He was jailed to three years and nine months in prison.
His sister, Rachel Mason, told Sky News she was “sickened” by the idea he may be released in a year’s time.
She said: “ "How can someone rehabilitate in a year?
"They can't. We all know that prisons are overstretched and resources are stretched.
"He's not going to get any kind of support in prison in a year. And then he'll be out in the community. It's sickening."
The family faced more tragedy when Mr Mason's brother Simon took his own life as a result of his sibling's death.
In the wake of the death Ms Mason launched an online petition calling for a longer sentence.
It has so far been signed by more than 40,000 people.
She wrote: “He will serve just over a year in prison for killing Paul once deductions are taken off his low 3 year 9 month sentence.
This sentence is an insult to Paul, to us his family and to the wider UK society.
“What punishment is this for brutally, without doubt in my mind after seeing the CCTV was a clear intention to do really serious harm to Paul?
“This was not a one punch killing, on the contrary. It was a sustained, brutal attack, in public and fuelled by alcohol. Leaving witnesses traumatised.”
Speaking after sentencing, Mr Mason's family said they were "immensely disappointed" Allan was not handed a life sentence, adding: "We really hoped he would get a life sentence, but we must try to accept the jury's decision.
"At least he will be imprisoned for killing Paul and we can start to move forward a little.
"Words cannot express how traumatised and distressed we were when we were told about the attack on Paul, a senseless act of violence on an entirely innocent man simply making his way home from an evening out with friends. "
Maxine Thompson-Curl, whose son Kristian Thompson died 10 months after he was punched in the head, said she agreed with Ms Mason.
The man who attacked him was jailed for 28 months for grievous bodily harm.
