A businessman has been jailed for two-and-a-half years for manslaughter after he chased a
Birmingham student who was then knocked down by a car and killed.
Christopher Gray, aged 21, was struck by a car on the Bristol Road as he ran away from Robert Lewis following a scuffle.
Mr Gray, a University of Birmingham student, died three days later from his injuries.
Lewis, of Station Road, Kings Heath, Birmingham, had pleaded not guilty to manslaughter but was convicted by a jury at Birmingham Crown Court.
Judge David Matthews said there had been "physical contact" between the two men before "a spur of the moment response led to tragic consequences".
The court heard how Lewis - described by Judge Matthews "as man who liked to air his views forcefully" - had been driving near the Tesco Express store on Bristol Road, Selly Oak, in the early hours of October 23, 2004.
Lewis grew agitated after he had to brake suddenly when a group of students, who had been drinking, got out of a taxi.
He got out of his car and swore at them and then pushed Mr Gray's sister, who was acting as a peacemaker, to the ground.
Mr Gray then intervened on his sister's behalf and confronted Lewis.
Lewis fled the scene without leaving his name or address but was arrested 14 hours later.
Passing sentence, Judge Matthews said: "I sentence you on the basis that before chasing him you were subjected at least to some degree of provocation and I sentence you on the basis that you neither intended any serious harm to Mr Gray or gave thought to the peril in which he was being placed."
