By James Simons-
A judge has been shown video footage of a man killed with one punch in a street fight recorded on a mobile phone by a girl over whom they were fighting.
Radu Ciobanu, 24, will be sentenced on Friday for killing James Avis, 35, after the pair took their argument from the flat where they were outside in Hainault Avenue, Westcliff On Sea, after the pair agreed to settle a disagreement over a girl they both had sexual relations with.
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The graphic footage seen by The Eye Of Media.Com shows Ciobanu attacking Avis, as the latter turns his back on his attacker before both men pause.
Avis can then be heard telling Ciobany: ‘I am not a fighter, before Ciobanu responds ”you are not a fighter but you come(wrong tense meant to say came) outside”. Ciobanu then hits a defenceless Avis who slumps to the ground and hits his head on a sharp edge of the pavement, killing him.
Paramedics raced to the scene on September 25 around 22.25pm after being called by Ciabanu, who put him in a recovery position, but their best efforts to save him failed and he was confirmed dead at the scene.
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Ciobanu, who is roughly 6ft 7 inches was arrested and charged with manslaughter.
The pair had been drinking heavily over a the period of a few days along with other friends and associates, and both felt entitled to the girl, given their past liaisons with her.
Avis had been staying at the property inhabited by two friends, after police bail conditions prevented him from staying with his girlfriend, following a criminal complaint of assault she made against him.
Efforts to get Avis housed prior to this incidence by both Harp and Housing solutions failed, with both organisations citing no space.
Sources told this publication that the pair had been verbally sparring over the girl for a few days.
Representing Ciobanu, Matthew Hardyman told the court that mobile phone footage of the incident had “proved crucial” in him accepting his guilt and admitting the offence. The mobile phone footage was viewed by Judge Samantha Leigh, who described some of the punches being thrown.
Judge Leigh adjourned the sentencing hearing to Friday this week (November 19), and remanded Ciobanu in custody.
He will be facing an immediate prison sentence, with the maximum term for manslaughter being life in prison.
Image:Essex Police
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