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Key Details
Victim: Oliver Dearlove (30)
Perpetrator: Trevor Timon (31)
Offence: One punch kill
Location: Blackheath, South London
Date: 27 August 2016
Key Facts
Oliver Dearlove, known as "Ollie" to his friends, grew up in South East London.
He attended Cooper’s School in Chislehurst and later studied business management at the University of Portsmouth.
Worked as a relationship manager at Duncan Lowery Private Bank in Victoria, previously working at Coots and Barclays Wealth Management.
Described as kind, friendly, and well-liked by all who knew him.
Lived in New Eltham with his long-term girlfriend, Claire Wheatley, with whom he was planning a future.
On 27th August 2016, Oliver was out in Blackheath for a university reunion with friends.
After visiting several bars, the group was waiting for their taxi outside O’Neill’s on Tranquil Vale.
Oliver engaged in a polite conversation with a woman who had removed her heels after dancing, complimenting her and mentioning how well she looked post-pregnancy.
The woman was associated with Trevor Timon, who had bought drinks for the group earlier in the night and apparently felt entitled to their attention.
Timon became aggressive and confronted Oliver and his friends, saying, "Who the fuck are you boys?"
He then issued a threat: "If you don’t get out of my face, I will knock you out."
Without further provocation, Timon delivered a single, powerful left-handed punch to the side of Oliver’s head.
The punch ruptured an artery in Oliver’s neck, causing fatal brain damage.
He collapsed instantly, his body twisting as he hit the pavement.
A woman from the group screamed, "He hit him! He hit him!"
When asked why he had done it, Timon simply replied, "I'm just pissed off."
Personal trainer Matt Whitmore, who was driving by, stopped to help and performed CPR until paramedics arrived.
Oliver was placed on life support at hospital, allowing his family to say their goodbyes before he was pronounced dead the next day.
Timon was a 31 year old unemployed plasterer from Plumstead with a history of violent offences including punching a woman unconscious outside a pub in 2010.
His older brother, Wesley Timon, had been convicted of murder at age 20 in 2005.
After the attack on Oliver, he fled to Ireland but later returned and turned himself in to police.
Claimed in court that he had reacted to a racist comment—a claim that was never substantiated by any witnesses.
Timon was charged with murder but denied intent to cause serious harm.
Court heard of his violent past, including previous assaults and threats.
Found not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter, receiving a six-year prison sentence with an additional five years on extended licence.
Oliver’s family was devastated by the sentence, with his mother, Joy Wright, stating:
"Timon may as well have used a gun or a knife. No parent should have to make the decision to switch off their child's life support."
The judge described Timon’s actions as "unprovoked and gratuitous."
Oliver’s death became part of a wider conversation about the dangers of one-punch attacks, where a single impulsive act can end a life.
His family and friends have since worked to raise awareness of one-punch killings.
Cases like this continue to raise concerns about sentencing for unprovoked violent attacks.