Teenager jailed for one-punch attack that killed Boston dad

Hikmet Maez, 19, was sentenced to three years for manslaughter at Lincoln Crown Court on Monday.

His ‘mindless act of violence’ caused Gendiminas Vaitkus to fall to the ground and hit his head, suffering a fatal injury.

Mr Vaitkus, aged 43, of Tunnard Street, Boston, was attacked by Hikmet Maez, aged 19, in Red Lion Street in the town at around 6.15pm on July 28 this year.

Mr Vaitkus had attempted to buy a bottle of alcohol at the shop where Maez was serving, but Maez refused to sell him it, so Mr Vaitkus made a purchase in the premises next door.

As he walked out he was prodded by Maez, who had followed him into the shop, and then pushed in the back.

Maez picked up a glass bottle and threw it at his victim, which Mr Vaitkus managed to block and continued walking along the street.

Maez followed him a short distance before kicking him in the leg and punching him in the face. The punch caused Mr Vaitkus to fall and bang his head.

Mr Vaitkus was taken to Queens Medical Centre but he never recovered from his injuries and died on August 3rd.

Maez fled the scene in his car but was tracked down and arrested by officers around two hours later.

Maez, of Spilsby Road, admitted manslaughter at an earlier hearing.

Police today welcomed the sentence.

Detective Chief Inspector Richard Myszczyszyn, of East Midlands Special Operations Unit, said: “Maez’s mindless act of violence on the night of July 28th resulted in the tragic death of Gediminas Vaitkus.

“I hope today’s sentence raises awareness of the serious consequences of any act of violence.

“Mr Vaitkus’ tragic death will forever have a devastating effect on his family’s lives.

“Maez’s appalling actions should make people think twice about their actions. We hope today’s result provides some form of comfort to Mr Vaitkus’ family, knowing that the person responsible for this tragedy is behind bars.”

Mr Vaitkus’ 19-year-old daughter, who asked not to be named, said: “Not a day goes by that we do not think about our dear dad. We are truly and deeply devastated.

“My seven-year-old brother is finding it so difficult to deal with dad’s passing and is constantly asking mum when he will get to see his dad. It breaks our heart having to tell him that dad will never be returning.

“Our dear dad was a devoted family man and loved us all, including his mum and siblings who are also finding it extremely hard to cope with, especially him being the youngest of four.

“It has been the worst thing we have ever had to go through and we truly hope that no one ever has to suffer the pain that we have been through due to a careless act that happened whilst he was simply walking home.

“Our dad loved life and his freedom, who worked hard to make sure me and my brother were both happy at all times.

“We, as a family, are still struggling to come to terms with not being able to see our loved one again, it’s hard to believe that that is the reality we are going to have to live with. We have been torn into pieces and we miss our dad more and more everyday.”