McNeil showed no emotion on Thursday as Supreme Court Justice Robert Allan Hulme described the unprovoked punch to Daniel's face as "a ferocious blow delivered by a powerfully built man".With a mind addled by alcohol, he completely misconceived the situation there and gave vent to a perceived but grossly mistaken need to violently punish an innocent young man.

Daniel, 18, was no match for McNeil, who is tall and trained in martial arts fighting and who's physique at the time was pumped up by body building, Justice Hulme said.

He and his brother, Peter, were walking down Victoria Street at about 9pm when they noticed a scuffle between McNeil and three male youths.

The youths, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had offered McNeil and his de facto wife, Sonya Walker, drugs, which they declined. McNeil later told police one of the youths made a comment about Ms Walker's appearance and he reacted by punching him and kicking him when he fell to the ground.

Daniel said to McNeil words to the effect of: "Why are you hitting kids". McNeil approached Daniel, who stepped back, put his hands up and said: "no, no, no".

Without warning, McNeil punched him. Daniel immediately went limp and hit his head on the road, cracking his skull and causing massive blunt force trauma.

McNeil told police he thought Daniel was one of the youths he had encountered moments earlier.

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But Jstice Hulme said while that unexpected interaction precipitated McNeil's "sudden explosion of violence" and his actions were not premeditated, Daniel was no threat.

"With a mind addled by alcohol, he completely misconceived the situation there and gave vent to a perceived but grossly mistaken need to violently punish an innocent young man," Justice Hulme said.

Outside the court, Daniel's mother Maureen said her son was "entitled to so much more life".

"Daniel was the most loving person, he was kind, gentle, generous, and respectful," Mrs Christie said.

"There is not a sentence that any court could give that could equate to my family's loss. The heartache we will with everyday is unbearable".

In sentencing submissions the court heard McNeil has been a model prisoner since being taken into custody in the hours after the attack on Daniel. He has completed drug and alcohol courses, literacy and numeracy training and described as "a hard-working, polite and very helpful inmate".

A letter from Sister Marcia Cox, the chaplain at Parklea Correctional Centre, said McNeil "lives with the fact his lack of self-control resulted in a young man losing his life and the terrible pain the young man's family live with each day."

Sr Cox said McNeil is "by far the most sincere and self-motivated person to seek change and become a better person for himself, family and society" of all the inmates with whom she works with.

But Justice Hulme said he could not ignore that McNeil has a criminal record littered with violence, including domestic assaults and contraventions of AVOs. He also has a history of drug and alcohol abuse and mental illness.

For that reason, he assessed McNeil's chances of rehabilitation as "reasonable" but was unable to find he is unlikely to reoffend.

Justice Hulme made reference to the "remarkable" victim impact statements given by Daniel's father Michael and mother Maureen.

"What they have written are powerful and very moving expressions of love, loss and a grief that will never pass".

McNeil was supported in court by his mother Sharon and stepfather Liam McCormack, who Justice McNeil said are "devastated" by his actions.

He sentenced McNeil to six months jail for assaulting the youth, a year and six months for assault occasioning actual harm to Peter Christie and nine years for the manslaughter of Daniel.

Each term was reduced by 25 per cent for McNeil's guilty pleas and when aggregated, amounted to a maximum sentence of 10 years. He will be eligible for parole on June 30, 2021.