A WOMAN who lost her partner to a one-punch attack is backing The Northern Echo’s Price of a Punch campaign.

Joanne Foster lodged her own petition with then Prime Minister Gordon Brown calling for tougher sentences after the death of her partner Neil McDonald.

He was assaulted outside his local pub in August last year during an unprovoked attack.

He died less than 24 hours later.

In January, his killer, John Cunningham, who was drunk on the night of the attack, was jailed for five years, but could be released in February 2012.

Miss Foster called the sentence “a farce” and later launched a petition on the 10 Downing Street website.

It closed in June with more than 1,000 signatures. However, Miss Foster said it was closed early because of the election and she has collected more signatures offline.

Miss Foster, from Macclesfield, Cheshire, believes 15 years is a more appropriate sentence in such cases, where the attack was unprovoked and fuelled by alcohol.

She has visited schools in her area to teach children about the dangers of alcohol and drugs – as well as that one punch can kill someone.

She said: “There was nowhere else to turn to except for me to fight for justice. I know it won’t happen overnight.

“The campaign is really important.

I don’t just feel I’m grieving for my partner, but that I’ve been let down.

“I feel like another victim.

Anybody’s life is worth more than two-and-a-half years.”

The Northern Echo launched its Price of a Punch campaign at the start of the month following the court case of soldier Andrew Gibson.

Like Neil McDonald, Andrew was killed by one punch during a night out. His killer, 17-year-old John Flannigan, was imprisoned for two-and-ahalf years after admitting manslaughter.

His story follows a number of similar cases across our region where the killers of onepunch victims are given sentences measured in months rather than years.

National sentencing bodies are planning a reform in the autumn.

A spokesman for Number 10 said the petition was being processed.

■ For more details of Miss Foster’s campaign, go to priceofapunch.co.uk