THE four-year sentence given to a thug who killed a vulnerable man with a single punch was not "unduly lenient", the Court of Appeal has ruled.
Judges upheld the prison term given to Lewis Gill, 21, of Sutton, for killing Andrew Young, who had Asperger's syndrome, in Bournemouth last November.
Gill was jailed for manslaughter in February but the sentence was referred to Attorney General Dominic Grieve.
He said it did not reflect the seriousness of what Gill had done but three judges have decided the sentence should stand.
Lord Justice Treacy said: "We have concluded that the sentence imposed below is not one which can be described as unduly lenient.
"Indeed, it seems to us that the sentence imposed was one within the reasonable range available to the trial judge, properly weighing the relevant factors and the guidance of this court."
Mr Young, who had challenged Mr Gill's friend for cycling on the pavement, fell back and hit his head after being punched.
He suffered a serious head injury and died later in Southampton Hospital.
