Father-of-three jailed over fatal coward punch outside Melbourne bar

Richard Vincec sat shaking and wiping away tears as he waited for his sentence to be handed down.

His face fell and he turned to look at the mother of his three children as he was jailed for eight years, to serve a minimum of five.

The family of his victim, Jaiden Walker, also broke down. Five months after their son’s life was taken with a coward’s punch, his killer was locked away.

Vincec had been drunk and taking drugs when he was ejected from Cherry Bar in Melbourne’s ACDC Lane on May 6.

CCTV showed him cheating on his partner, kissing a friend of the victim up against a shop front on Russell Street.

The woman pushed  him away, and Vincec offered handshakes to the men in her group.

Mr Walker refused and walked off, eventually squeezing his hand. Vincec became enraged, and struck the 22 year old to the side of the face.

He fell backwards, striking his head on the road.

In sentencing, Justice Peter Riordan told Vincec “you ran away from your mortally injured victim.”

After five days on life support Mr Walker died.

“As a result of your actions, a fine young man has been deprived of the rest of his adult life,” the Judge continued.

Mr Walker’s father, Jon, said he was disappointed that Vincec, who pleaded guilty to manslaughter, wasn’t handed the mandatory 10 year jail term for killing someone with a coward’s punch.

But hoped his son’s legacy will be to stop one other person making the same fatal mistake.

“If you find yourself in the situation that occurred with my son and you’re the aggressor stop and think about it,” he said.

Vincec, 26, has prior convictions for assault and recklessly causing injury.

The court heard he had turned his life around with the support of his partner, but he continued to abuse alcohol and illicit drugs.

The judge noted his absence from his young children would make prison more onerous, urging him to use the time “to reflect on the fact you have deprived Jaiden Walker of the opportunity to enjoy having a family of his own.”

The victim’s father said “one person made a really bad decision that’s ruined two families.”

“In a split second so many things could have been changed,” he added. 

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