A CONVICTED robber who killed a former footballer with a single punch was jailed for four years yesterday.

Frenchman Omar Mouhib, 24, provoked 27-year-old Atef Jablaoui, of Harrow, into a fight after the victim accused him of having a “dirty mind” and being “badly educated”.

Mr Jablaoui, who played for a Tunisian regional team before coming to the UK to study business, was knocked unconscious by the blow and died three days later in hospital.

His family were unable to travel to London for the trial because of the recent upheavals in Tunisia.

A statement was read out from his brother Sabar Jablaoui, which read: “The effect of the tragedy was extremely painful because we lost a son, a brother and a member of the family who was dear to us.

“Suddenly we received this horrible news, which fell on us like a thunderbolt, and we, the entire family, are finding it impossible to come to terms with what has happened and return to normal life without him.”

Mr Jablaoui had a promising career as a young footballer in Tunisia and even had trials with the national team as a teenager in 2001.

But he decided to leave the sport and by 2005 he had travelled to the UK to study and was living with friends in Harrow.

Judge Martyn Zeidman QC told him: “I accept entirely you did not intend to kill Atef or intend to cause him really serious bodily harm, but the blow that you inflicted was in no sense a half-hearted blow.

“It was a punch described as forceful. There was a bit of a swank about you as if you were pleased to be able to knock the man out.”

Mouhib was convicted of manslaughter by the jury after they rejected claims he acted in self-defence.