Man jailed for Walsall nightclub punch death of ‘hero’ dad

A man who admitted causing the death of a man outside a nightclub by punching him has been jailed for more than five years.

West Midlands Police said Kejuan Malone, 33, hit Kevin Taylor, 51, “multiple times” outside DeCode Lounge on Lichfield Street, Walsall, on 7 December.

Mr Taylor fell, hit his head on the pavement and later died from his injuries.

Malone, from Osprey Close, Hall Green, Birmingham, pleaded guilty to Mr Taylor’s manslaughter in April and was jailed at Wolverhampton Crown Court on Monday.

Police said the men, who were both customers at the club earlier that evening, were involved in a “verbal exchange” before the attack.

The club was closed down the month after Mr Taylor’s death.

In a statement after Mr Taylor’s death, his children described him as their “hero”.

Following Malone’s sentencing, Mr Taylor’s daughter Chantel said: “Since that day, our lives have been filled with grief, pain, and a deep sense of loss that no words can truly describe. The hole left by my father’s absence is felt every day in our home, in our hearts, and across the community that loved him.

“Losing him so violently has broken us all. His death has left a void that can never be filled.

“The person responsible for this took more than a life – they took away a father, a leader, a community builder, and a man who lived to help others.

“Our hearts are broken.”

Det Insp Dan Jarratt, who led the investigation, said his thoughts were with Mr Taylor’s family as they tried to come to terms with his death.

“This tragedy just highlights the need for responsible behaviour on a night out,” he said. “[Mr Taylor’s] death was needless and could have been avoided.”

As well as being given a 64-month prison sentence, Malone was ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £228.