A TEENAGER who was jailed for two-and-a-half years for killing a soldier in a nightclub will not have his sentence increased.

The Attorney General has expressed sympathy with the family of Andrew Gibson, who died after a single punch, but turned down a possible appeal against the sentence.

Mr Gibson, a 19-year-old Scots Guardsman based at Catterick Garrison, in North Yorkshire, was on a night out in Darlington days before he planned to return home for Christmas last year.

He was punched in Escapade nightclub by John Flannigan, 17, from Geneva Road, Darlington, and died six days later. Flannigan admitted manslaughter at Teesside Crown Court in August and was sentenced to two-and-ahalf years in prison.

Mr Gibson’s parents planned to appeal against the sentence. The Crown Prosecution Service also wrote to the Attorney General to ask him to look at the sentence.

The Northern Echo launched a campaign following the case to demand tougher sentences for onepunch killers.

Attorney General Dominic Grieve told The Northern Echo yesterday: “This was a very sad case, in which a young soldier lost his life in a senseless act of violence, and my deepest sympathies are extended to the family of Andrew Gibson.

“I considered the sentence imposed upon the offender very carefully and concluded that the two-and-a-half years’ detention imposed upon this 17-year-old was not so far outside the range of sentences the judge could reasonably have imposed to permit me to refer it to the Court of Appeal.”

Chris Enzor, Durham’s chief crown prosecutor, said: “We invited the Attorney General to consider whether the sentence should be referred to the Court of Appeal and he has decided that it should not.

“I echo the Attorney General in sending my deepest sympathy to Mr Gibson’s family.”

Darlington MP Jenny Chapman is due to ask Justice Secretary Ken Clarke today about alcohol-related crime. She also wants a minimumpricing policy on alcohol.

Mrs Chapman said: “Twoand- a-half years is not a fair sentence for taking someone’s life. Being drunk is no mitigation, but is an aggravating factor.”

The Northern Echo’s Price of a Punch campaign also aims to reinforce a message that one punch is enough to kill.

Mrs Chapman said: “People who go out drinking need to understand that this could happen.”