THE father of a man who died a year-and-a-half after he was attacked said his killer has "got off lightly" with a three-year prison sentence.

Ernest Ratcliffe, 73, of Shaw Gardens, Wardley, Gateshead, spoke after Keith Stephenson was jailed for the attack on his 38-year-old son, Charlie.

Stephenson struck him over the head with a plank of wood while drinking in Bill Quay, Gateshead, in August 2002.

He was spared prison after admitting grievous bodily harm in October 2002. But Mr Ratcliffe developed epilepsy and died following a seizure on February 11 last year.

Stephenson admitted manslaughter and on Wednesday was sentenced to three years in prison at Newcastle Crown Court.

Mr Ratcliffe said: "It is terrible because he will only serve 18 months. I don't think that is long enough for taking someone's life.

"I have lost a son and I feel he is getting away with it.

"The system does not appear to have changed much because the sentence is not strong enough. He is getting off lightly. I feel let down."

Stephenson was charged a second time because a change in the law brought about by a three-year campaign by the Northern Echo.

The year-and-a-day rule, which meant someone could not be prosecuted if a victim died 366 days after an attack, was scrapped in 1996.

Speaking at the time, Detective Sergeant Geoff Forsyth, of Gateshead CID, said: "There are no winners in a case like this, however, this should make people realise that if they inflict a serious injury on someone they could still be facing the consequences in years to come.

"This was a positive use of legislation and shows that you can go beyond a year-and-a-day and can, in law, link someone's death to an event that happened some time ago."