A 22-year-old Royal Marine who killed a ‘gentle giant’ from Exmouth with a single punch after a night out has been jailed for three-and-a-half years.
Joseph Jones, of Chillington Lane, Codsall, Wolverhampton, killed 29-year-old Cemal John Yilmaz in December 2025 at pub kicking out time, landing a fatal blow, offended at being told his accent sounded like he was from Birmingham.
Jones, who admitted manslaughter, sobbed in the dock as Cemal’s mum, dad, younger brother and cousin told him he had ripped their family apart, robbing them of a gentle soul who loved everyone.
Cemal’s mum Anne-Marie told the court how she cries daily, and often sleeps in her son’s bed and smells his clothes to feel close to him.
Her impact statement, read out by prosecutor Lee Bembridge KC after she broke down in court, said: “Cemal was not a fighter. He was a gentle giant. He wouldn’t hurt a soul. He loved life, he loved hugging, he loved people. He was simply a nice guy.”
Sentencing Jones, His Honour Judge James Patrick at Exeter Crown Court, said: “He was out cold before he hit the floor and he never got up.
“You did nothing to help. You simply walked away. You told your group you had been disrespected and no one disrespects you. You hit him because he was making fun of where you were from.”
Jones will serve two years and four months before he is released on licence.
Joseph Jones admitted landing a fatal blow, offended at being told his accent sounded like he was from Birmingham. Image: D&C Police
Speaking after court, Detective Inspector Christopher Lithgow, senior investigating officer of the Devon and Cornwall Police major crime investigation team, said: “This was a chance encounter between two people that night, that has tragically affected the lives of all involved.
“Mr Jones will now have to deal with the consequences of his actions.
“I wish to express my deep sympathy to the family of Mr Yilmaz and I commend their bravery throughout this process.
“I have had the pleasure of meeting the family of Mr Yilmaz and it was immediately clear just how loved and adored he was by so many.”
After Jones was jailed, Cemal’s family released a tribute to their first-born son, who was born on the 29 September 1996.
They said: “Cem as we called him was the loveliest, warmest and kindest person you would ever meet, he would help anybody in need and always had time for a laugh and a chat.
“We could spend a lifetime telling you how amazing Cem was, he brightened up the darkest of places and brought people out of bad places when they needed to escape, a complete selfless person always.
“Cem never had a bad word to say about anyone, he loved his life, he loved his family, he was the highest of the high. He always turned a negative into a positive.
“He was loved by his family and friends and the community in Manchester where he was born and in Exmouth where he made his home.
“This senseless act of violence has ripped our family apart, it has taken our son from us, our brother from us, there are not enough words in the world to describe the depths of our pain and loss.
“We do not want something like this to happen to anyone else’s family.”
Described as a larger than life character ‘happy drunk who would smother you with love’, Cemal earlier that night was asked to leave the First and Last Inn, which he took ‘in a light-hearted way’, telling door security he loved them as he left.
Cemal, who moved to Exmouth with his family 10 years ago, had been out with friends in the town on December 13, 2025, when he struck up a conversation with Royal Marine Jones, out celebrating with pals, after their pair left The Loft pub at closing time. Both men had been drinking.
The atmosphere was described as upbeat as people left the pub and stayed to hang around in the road.
Some ‘back-and-forth’ chat about Birmingham was heard coming from Jones and Cemal. Their voices grew louder, but the exchange was not heated.
Cemal asked Jones if he was a Brummie. Jones replied he was from Wolverhampton. A split second later he ‘calmly’ punched Cemal in the face.
Jones claimed he felt ‘uncomfortable’ by Cemal standing close to him and trying to put his arm around him. He said the punch was ‘flinch reaction’, and he had not intended to hurt him, or for Cemal to fall.
Prosecutor Mr Bembridge said: “Their voices didn’t suggest there was going to be a fight. It was out of the blue. The punch was very quick and very hard.”
Witnesses described hearing a ‘terrifying thud’. Cemal, who did not see the punch coming, was knocked out cold before he fell, hitting the road.
Jones, who did not stay to check if he had hurt Cemal, re-joined his friends, telling them the man had disrespected him and he would never allow anyone to disrespect him.
He told the group the man had been making fun of where he was from and he had hit him.
Jones’s friends told him he was ‘completely out of order’.
The court heard the punch was delivered with such force towards Cemal he was unconscious before he hit the ground and the blow was ultimately fatal.
Onlookers rushed to help Cemal and he was given CPR on the road. Cemal was taken by paramedics to the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital, then transferred to Derriford Hospital, in Plymouth, where he was hooked up to life support.
Cemal died on December 16 from a non-survivable head injury. A post-mortem found he had bleeding on the brain and a fractured jaw.
