9 years for danger biker who killed peacemaker dad with a single punch
AN off- road biker who killed a man with a single punch after being asked to stop riding dangerously has been jailed for nine years.
James Rowley, 21, attacked Joe Higgins, 41, in front of horrified children after tearing across grassland on a stolen scrambler on March 17.
The victim had approached the biker and “politely” asked him to stop his riding over fears for the safety of children playing nearby.
But Rowley proceeded to rev the bike’s engine before he floored the care manager with a single punch.
Mr Higgins, a stepfather of three, suffered a serious head injury and died the following day in hospital.
Aggressive
Following the attack, former warehouse worker Rowley was heard laughing before he sped away from the scene in Coventry.
Rowley handed himself in to West Midlands Police on March 20 after detectives launched a murder inquiry.
He had originally claimed Mr Higgins had approached him in an aggressive manner and suggested he only threw a punch in self defence.
In a police interview, he later described himself as the “softest, nicest guy you ever came across”.
However, witnesses described seeing Rowley, of Coventry, speeding through residential streets, jumping red lights and mounting pavements. He also got into an argument with a motorist after nearly causing a crash.
Rowley also has a record of violence, including assaulting his own mother when he was 14, it was said.
He later changed his account and went on to admit manslaughter and dangerous driving.
He was jailed for nine years at Warwick Crown Court.
Detective Inspector Jim Colclough described Mr Higgins’s death as tragic and senseless.
He said: “Witnesses describe him approaching Rowley politely. He wanted to convey his concerns for the danger he posed to people.
“Some witnesses described seeing Rowley laughing and dancing in the victim’s hat after the fatal punch.”