A man has been jailed for more than six years for killing his drug dealer in a fight over unpaid debts.
Francis Reilly, 63, died from his injuries following the three-minute altercation in Ingrave Road, Brentwood, Essex, on September 12 last year.
Mr Reilly had sprayed ammonia from a bottle into John Moore's face when he came to the defendant's home to pursue payment for the drugs he had supplied.
Moore, 39, admitted manslaughter after claiming he acted in self-defence when he hit Mr Reilly with a hammer and pushed him against a wall.
He was sentenced to 74 months in prison, with the last third of his sentence to be spent on a license.
In her sentencing remarks, Judge Samantha Leigh explained that a jury failed to reach a verdict when Moore stood trial for murder.
But he later admitted manslaughter when medical evidence showed the hammer injuries were not the cause of Mr Reilly's death.
A post-mortem examination showed Mr Reilly had “catastrophic injuries” to his chest, including 20 broken ribs, the judge said. His lungs were punctured and as a result his heart failed.
Francis Reilly died after going to John Moore's home in Brentwood to confront him about unpaid drug debts [Essex Police]
The fight started in Moore's flat, where neighbors heard noises “like someone was throwing around”.
Moore was sprayed in the face with ammonia before hitting Mr Reilly with a hammer he found under his bed.
The altercation spilled out onto the street, where a taxi driver saw “someone being attacked with a hammer”, the judge said.
Two patrol officers were detained and police said Moore was arrested “quickly.” Mr Reilly died at the scene from his injuries.
Judge Leigh praised the conduct of Mr Reilly's family during the trial, saying they had gone through the proceedings “patiently and with great dignity”.
“Yes, he was a drug dealer and had a history of violence, but he was a family man, a husband and had children who will miss him terribly,” she said.
John Moore continued to attack his victim outside his home in Ingrave Road [Elliot Deady/BBC]
In a statement released last year, his family said he was a “loving father, brother, grandfather and uncle” who was “dearly loved by all his family and will be sadly missed.”
Senior investigating officer at Essex Police, Detective Constable Lisa Hurrell, said: “Whatever Mr Reilly's motivation for visiting Moore that day, whatever took place between the two men, it was no excuse and no justification for what was to follow.
'No one deserves to die on the road [Mr Reilly] He did that and it was only right that we made sure Moore couldn't get away with his heinous actions that day.”
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