A man has been jailed for life after murdering a man outside a nightclub in an act of "mindless violence".

Matthew Thomas, 47, was found outside The Arch Bar in Neath on 15 July, 2022 and died the following day.

Daniel Pickering, 34, punched Mr Thomas twice in the face, knocking him unconscious, before continuing the attack.

He was found guilty of murder by a jury at Swansea Crown Court in December.

The trial heard an "aggressive" Pickering had started an argument with Mr Thomas inside The Arch before being thrown out.

Pickering, who had consumed alcohol and cocaine, then waited outside for Mr Thomas before launching the attack.

'A happy, positive, kind person'

In a statement issued after sentencing on Monday, Mr Thomas' family described him as a "happy, positive, kind person".

"He was only 47, a father, son, brother and friend to so many", they added.

"We are all struggling to come to terms with the way he died and make sense of how it could be that a man he didn't know made the decision that night to take from him his life and his future, and by doing so has left such devastation and trauma behind."

Mr Thomas' family said that they were "distressed to know that whilst Matthew lay on the floor dying," Daniel Pickering continued to "punch and stamp on his head."

"We are hopeful that following today we will be able to move forward and start grieving and remembering Matthew", they continued.

Mr Thomas was described as a "happy go lucky" character, in a victim statement read out by Matthew's sister, Kath Thomas.

"He was a character, always happy and joking. Matthew loved life and would talk to anyone. There wasn't a bad bone in his body. He was harmless," she said.

"Tragically he met a stranger that night, a stranger who was angry."

'Heightened anxiety'

Describing life since the attack, Ms Thomas said the incident had left the family with a "permanent feeling of loss and despair".

"The panic, fear and disbelief from that moment is always with us.

"We live with heightened anxiety, we over-worry for each other, we're worried that this horror can happen again."

She added: "It's the first thing we think about in the morning, and the last thing on our minds at night."

Sentencing Pickering to life in prison with a minimum term of 18 years, Judge Geraint Walters described the attack as a "senseless episode of gratuitous and mindless violence".

He told Pickering his actions showed his life was "largely without direction".

"The attack was wholly unprovoked and involved gratuitous violence directed at a man who never used any violence and offered no resistance," he said.

"At that time you did intend to kill Mr Thomas."

An appeal for reflection

Senior investigating officer DCI Mark Lewis said the unprovoked attack on Mr Thomas was an example of how "the over consumption of alcohol and Class A drugs stimulates aggressive behaviour".

DCI Lewis urged people to consider their actions on a night out, adding that murders of this nature "are preventable if people take the time to reflect on their own behaviour".

"Our thoughts today remain with Matthew's family and friends and I sincerely hope today's sentence bring them some closure," he said.

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