WA prisoner jailed for fatal one-punch

A Perth prisoner who killed a fellow inmate in a one-punch attack after a dispute about a table in the dining area has been jailed for more than two years.

Robert Thomas Garlett, 20, pleaded guilty to assault occasioning the death of 35-year-old Troy Allan Roginson at the Wooroloo Prison Farm in April last year.

The West Australia District Court heard on Thursday that Mr Roginson approached Garlett and his friend in the meals area and told them they had taken his table, before sitting somewhere else.

Later, Garlett tried to dissuade his friend from having a further confrontation with Mr Roginson but they eventually accosted him near the bin area.

During the altercation, Garlett punched Mr Roginson in the chin and the victim hit his head on concrete, causing irreparable brain damage.

In a letter to the court, Garlett said the confrontation was about where he sat in the "pecking order" of the prison.

"The standover tactic was never going to be settled by a simple apology or handshake," he said.

But other prisoners said Mr Roginson had not been aggressive in the dining room and while there were no seating rules, prisoners were "creatures of habit" and usually sat in the same spot.

Judge Michael Bowden noted Garlett was not accused of intending to cause Mr Roginson's death or being able to foresee the result of his actions, but said Garlett was responsible for the consequences of the attack.

Garlett was sentenced to two years and eight months behind bars and must serve half the jail term before he will be eligible for parole.