A German tourist who fatally injured a British father-of-three in a vodka bottle attack has been jailed for 7 years and told to pay his family £150,000.
David ‘Dai’ Richards, 31, died from head injuries after being hit with the object while on a stag trip with his friends in Prague.
Mr Richards was described as an ‘absolutely amazing father, partner, son, brother, and friend’ who was the ‘glue of the family’.
A court heard he travelled from Mountain Ash, South Wales, to Prague for the celebration in September last year – but never returned home to his relatives.
Joel Hoppe, 27, has been jailed for seven years for the bottle attack – and ordered to pay more than £150,000 to his family.
The court heard Mr Richards and his friends began chatting with other tourists before the assault.
‘At first, everything was calm and the tourists were chatting normally,’ said Czech Police spokesman Jan Daněk.
‘Then there was a rift between them and one of them hit the other in the head with a vodka bottle. The blow was so strong that the injured person immediately fell to the ground and unfortunately died in hospital.’
Hoppe pleaded guilty to the fatal GBH and disorderly conduct, admitting he acted in a fit of rage and under the influence of alcohol and drugs.
David Richard’s (pictured) family have claimed he was hit in a ‘blind attack’. Local Czech media have since reported that a 26-year-old man has been arrested for the incident
Mr Richards was described as an ‘absolutely amazing father, partner, son, brother, and friend’ who was the ‘glue of the family’
The German reportedly told the court: ‘Not a day goes by that I don’t think about the late David and his children. I will accept whatever sentence you give me.’
He also mentioned Mr Richards’ relatives, who attended the hearing. ‘It breaks my heart to see these people here today,’ he said.
Judge Daniella Sarah Sotolářová imposed a sentence of seven years after taking into account Hoppe’s remorse and his otherwise orderly life.
‘We also believed that you did not want to cause the death of the victim,’ she said.
Hoppe was sentenced to seven years behind bars and was ordered to pay 4.7 million crowns (£158,758) to Mr Richards’ family and banned him from the Czech Republic for 10 years.
A post-mortem examination by a doctor in Prague gave a provisional cause of death as brain trauma, swelling, and haemorrhaging.
Pontypridd coroner Patricia Morgan opened an inquest last October and adjourned it for a ‘full investigation’ to take place.
In a statement last September, his sister-in-law Tammy Sheehan, cousin Gemma Thomas, and partner Miss Simms said: ‘It wasn’t a fight like what I think some people are thinking – it was a blind attack.
‘From the attack he actually passed away from blunt force trauma. David was talking to locals in the street when he took a blow to the back of the head.’
Mr Richards was partner to Jola Simms and father to Aurora, aged four, Bear, two, and one-year-old Vienna.
CCTV footage revealed the moment Mr Richards was killed. The distressing video appeared to show a group of men talking in the street at night before a sudden and brief fight breaks out and a man begins to fall to the ground
After the sudden fight erupts one man appears to fall to the ground
A post-mortem examination by a doctor in Prague gave a provisional cause of death as brain trauma, swelling, and haemorrhaging. Pictured: David Richards with his partner
His heartbroken family described the father-of-three as an ‘absolutely amazing father, partner, son, brother, and friend.’
They said he was the ‘glue of the family’.
‘We would describe David as having the heart of a lion.
‘He was an extremely family-orientated person. He was the fun one – he always brought the energy.
‘He was an absolutely amazing father, partner, son, brother, and friend. There isn’t a bad word to be said about him.’
Mr Richards had returned from a family holiday on Thursday before he then jetted to Prague on Friday for his pal’s stag do.
By 10pm that night, Jola and Gemma both received a horror call from Mr Richards’ friend Nathan, who informed them he was in a critical condition.
Mr Richards’ family members flew into Prague, hoping he would regain consciousness.
But by Saturday afternoon the heartbreaking decision was made to switch off life support machines.
AFC Abercynon, where David played football, issued their own heart-wrenching statement.
It said: ‘The world has lost a good man – a father, a son, and a brother.
‘This is a loss for all of us but the grief and sorrow that you as a family must feel are the deepest and most poignant and personal.
‘Dai touched the lives of many involved at our club and we are devastated at this terrible loss.
‘As a club we are here for any support you need and we are all thinking of you at this sad time. Rest in peace Dai.’
CCTV footage revealed the moment Mr Richards was killed.
The distressing video appeared to show a group of men talking in the street at night before a sudden and brief fight breaks out and a man begins to fall to the ground.
