A young man who killed a club-goer with a single punch while out celebrating his university graduation had his sentence cut in London’s Appeal Court.

Ridwaan Shaikh, 23, was locked up for nine years at the Old Bailey in May last year after jurors convicted him of Bradley Cresswell’s manslaughter.

The 21-year-old suffered a fatal haemorrhage after Shaikh hit him a right-handed blow which an expert said would have knocked him out before he hit the ground.

Shaikh, who was celebrating graduation from Essex University, was cleared of a murder charge.

The fatal incident took place outside Watford’s Hydeout nightclub in September 2016.

At London's Appeal Court, Shaikh complained that his trial was unfair.

But Mr Justice William Davis, sitting with two other judges, said there were “no grounds for appealing" the manslaughter verdict.

The judge, however, went on to cut Shaikh’s sentence from nine to seven years after ruling his original punishment “manifestly excessive”.

Shaikh’s claims that he had been verbally abused by Mr Cresswell before the killing had been rejected by the trial judge.

Mr Cresswell, of South Oxhey, was trying to “calm down” the situation when he was struck without warning, the court heard.

“The blow was premeditated and the attack was carried out at night in a public place,” added Mr Justice Davis.

However, the judge noted Shaikh’s “previous positive good character” .

“For someone in his position, we conclude that this sentence was too long,” he concluded.

“It failed to give sufficient weight to the mitigating factors of his age and previous good character.

“Our conclusion is that the appropriate sentence was seven years.”