A footballer, who killed a fellow non league player in a ‘cowardly’ one-punch attack, is jailed for nearly seven years.
On Wednesday, Mckenzie Dicicco, 22, was jailed for six years and eight months after pleading guilty to manslaughter for fatally punching James Hitchcock, a 32-year-old married father and goalkeeper for Barton Town FC, at York railway station on December 15th, 2024.
The two men, strangers until that day, crossed paths after Dicicco, who was drunk and had been removed from a bar, engaged in a dispute with Hitchcock’s group of friends.
Despite attempts to de-escalate the situation, Dicicco, who spent much of his playing career in the North East, deliberately approached Hitchcock at a Burger King in the station, striking him from behind with a forceful punch to the head.
Hitchcock suffered a critical head injury and died three days later.
The court described the act as “cowardly” and “senseless.”
Hitchcock’s family, including his wife and newborn son, expressed profound grief, highlighting his vibrant personality and dedication to football.
The attack’s impact reverberated through the football community, with memorial matches and competitions, paying tribute to Hitchcock.
Dicicco was arrested quickly via CCTV and financial inquiries, and while the motive for his aggression remains unclear, the sentencing aims to provide some comfort to Hitchcock’s devastated family.
McKenzie Dicicco, 22, has been jailed today after he killed loving husband and father James Hitchcock with a single punch in York station last December.
Our thoughts remain with James’s family.
https://t.co/1ztOLWSWYg pic.twitter.com/nm8bd5iRgf— British Transport Police (@BTP) July 16, 2025
STATEMENT FROM BRITISH TRANSPORT POLICE:
A man has been jailed for killing a loving husband and father in York station, following a British Transport Police (BTP) investigation.
McKenzie Dicicco, 22, and of Dibdale Gardens, Stockton-on-Tees, pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of 32-year-old James Hitchcock at Leeds Crown Court on Friday 6 June.
He was sentenced at the same court today (16 July) to six years and eight months’ imprisonment.
The court heard that at around 8pm on 15 December 2024, James had been out in York with his friends after watching football. As they entered York railway station, they walked past Dicicco and he took exception to them, becoming aggressive and abusive.
James and his group tried to de-escalate the situation despite Dicicco’s continued aggression before they then moved away from him, believing the situation to be over.
Approximately 15 minutes later, Dicicco returned to the main concourse from platform 10, where he knew James was queuing for fast food.
Dicicco walked towards James from behind and punched him in the head, causing him to fall onto the floor, before fleeing the station.
Police and paramedics attended and James was quickly taken to hospital with a critical head injury.
Sadly James, a married father-of-one and talented footballer, died in hospital as a result of his injuries three days letter on 18 December, surrounded by his family.
Dicicco was quickly arrested by BTP officers after CCTV and financial enquiries led to his identification. He was charged with murder on 18 December.
Detective Superintendent Sam Painter, Senior Investigating Officer, said: “This was a senseless and completely unnecessary act of violence that led to the tragic loss of a much-loved family man.
“The reason why Dicicco became so aggressive towards James and his group of friends has never been established, out of nowhere he launched a vicious and utterly cowardly attack which took James’s life and left his family completely devastated.
“Our thoughts and deepest sympathies remain with James’s family and loved ones. Though no sentence can ever make up for the pain they have and continued to suffer, I hope today’s sentencing offers them some small measure of comfort.”
The family of James Hitchcock, 32, paid tribute to him following McKenzie Dicicco’s sentencing this week.
They said: “James was our light, the life and soul of the party, and loved by so many.
“He had so many exciting years ahead of him as a new Dad to our young baby boy, but due to a single act of thoughtless violence, his time with our newly growing family was cruelly cut short, leaving us devastated.
“Without him, our hearts are broken and our worlds have become very dark without his light.
“We pray that no other family ever goes through what we have endured, and that awareness continues to be raised about the impact a single punch can have on many lives.
“James was, and is still, loved by many, and we know that his memory will live on through our son, family and friends, the football community, and in our hearts.”
You must be logged in to post a comment Login