Man jailed after 'peacemaker' killed in Huthwaite beer garden attack

A man has been sentenced to nearly six years in prison for the fatal assault of Harley Fox, who was trying to defuse an altercation in a pub garden. Fox, aged 34, died in hospital two days after intervening when Dilon Price attacked another man at the Market Inn in Huthwaite, Nottinghamshire, on June 8th of the previous year.

At Nottingham Crown Court, it was revealed that while Fox remained in a coma following the assault, he married his “childhood sweetheart.” Price, 30, from Sutton-in-Ashfield, admitted manslaughter and was also found guilty of assault occasioning actual bodily harm against John Francis, the other man involved. He received a prison sentence of five years and 11 months.

According to the court proceedings, John Francis was at the pub with his wife after a family barbecue celebrating her birthday and their wedding anniversary. Price arrived shortly before 9 pm and approached Francis, accusing him of cheating during a game of pool. The accusation sparked an argument, during which Price threw punches. Witnesses described Price’s demeanor as aggressive and “looking for a fight.” After the confrontation moved outside to the beer garden, Price physically assaulted Francis again. Harley Fox stepped in to separate them and told Price “that was enough.” Price then pushed and punched Fox, causing him to hit his head on both a picnic table and the concrete floor, resulting in severe injuries and cardiac arrest.

Following the attack, Price went back inside the pub briefly before leaving in his van, reportedly shouting words along the lines of, “that’s what you get for messing with a traveller boy.” Fox was transported to the Queen’s Medical Centre in Nottingham but passed away on June 10th due to a brain injury sustained during the assault. The prosecution emphasized that Fox had acted as a peacemaker throughout the incident and had not contributed to the escalation.

Price handed himself in to police the next day, initially claiming self-defence, but later changed his plea to guilty. Jordan Fox, the victim’s wife, delivered a victim impact statement revealing she suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder due to witnessing the attack. She described their relationship as a lifelong bond and said their planned wedding took place while Harley was in a coma, turning what “should have been the happiest day” into their final farewell. She condemned Price’s delayed guilty plea as “selfish and cowardly.” Another family member expressed the pain caused by the loss, lamenting that he never seemed to show genuine remorse.

During sentencing, Judge Robert Egbuna acknowledged the deep heartbreak caused by the incident, noting that a joyful day had ended in tragedy due to Price’s actions. He urged that Price’s remorse, despite being expressed in a letter, came too late to ease the suffering of those affected. After the hearing, Detective Inspector Matt Scott commented on the devastating impact of the attack, describing Price’s conduct as “totally unacceptable” and expressing sympathy for Fox’s family and friends who have been left grieving

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