Tony Powles was a father to four children, a brother, an uncle, and a grandfather to six grandchildren. He was “the absolute pillar of our family,” his family said after his killer was sentenced, “known for his kindness, his humour, and most of all, his unwavering love and guidance.”
On the evening of Thursday 9 October 2025, a single punch in a Wakefield pub ended his life.
Harry Mannion, 28, of Springfield Grange, Wakefield, has been jailed for five years for the manslaughter of Mr Powles, 62, who suffered a serious head injury after being punched and knocked to the ground during an altercation at the Red Lion pub.
He died in hospital nearly two weeks later, on Wednesday 22 October, as a result of his injuries. Mannion was found guilty at trial the previous June, and was sentenced at Leeds Crown Court on Thursday 13 August.
Mr Powles’s family released a statement following the sentencing: “Tony, our dad, was so much more than just a victim in this case. He was a father to his four children, a brother to his only sibling, an uncle to his niece and nephew, and a grandfather to his six grandchildren. He was the absolute pillar of our family, known for his kindness, his humour, and most of all, his unwavering love and guidance.
“We look at his picture and still talk to him out loud, knowing he won’t talk back. We say, ‘Good night, Dad, I love you.’ It crushes our soul to know that we will never get to hug him or hear him say ‘I love you’ back ever again. It wasn’t just heartbreaking news we received in that hospital; it was a life sentence, leaving us breathless, broken, and trapped in a nightmare we can never wake up from.”
Temporary Detective Chief Inspector Eleanor Buchanan, of the Homicide and Major Enquiry Team, said: “Mannion’s violent actions sadly robbed a much-loved father and grandfather of his life. We welcome today’s sentencing and hope it will be of some comfort to Mr Powles’s family and friends.
“This case sadly highlights the appalling consequences such violent acts can have and how even just one punch can lead to a person losing their life.”
