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Teenager in court over headbutting a pensioner who later died


A TEENAGER who headbutted a Wirral pensioner, who later died, will appear in court today to be sentenced.

James Crawford, 18, has pleaded guilty to headbutting Alan Corney, 67, on the Parade in Parkgate, Wirral, in November last year.

He sustained a fractured cheek bone during the attack in front of his wife, Norma.

The couple were walking home when he challenged two drunken teenagers.

Three weeks later the father-of-two collapsed after developing a blood clot on the brain and remained in a coma under sedation until he died, nearly three months after the attack, in February.

Crawford, of Wrexham, has pleaded guilty to Grievous Bodily Harm and will be sentenced at Warrington Crown Court today.

THE ECHO

GBH?!?!?

He should be answering a Manslaughter charge

Hope the scrot gets the book thrown at him!

This is an outrage, he MURDERED somebody and got 18 months!

Look...

Teenager jailed after admitting headbutting Parkgate pensioner who later died

A TEENAGER has today been sentenced to 18 months imprisonment after admitting an assault on a Parkgate pensioner who later died.

Eighteen-year-old James Crawford pleaded guilty at Warrington Crown Court to assault occasioning grievous bodily harm.

A Cheshire Police investigation was launched in February this year when 67-year-old Alan Corney died in hospital.

He had been assaulted by Crawford, from Gresford near Wrexham, after confronting him and another youth regarding their unruly behaviour on the Parade at Parkgate on November 14 last year.

Crawford admitted causing grevious bodily harm by headbutting the pensioner who had been enjoying an evening stroll with his wife near to their home.

Alan Corney collapsed at home a few weeks later and it became apparent he had sustained a significant head injury as a result of the assault.

He never regained consciousness and died on February 6.

Crawford was arrested on March 4 after a media appeal for help in identifying those responsible for the attack resulted in an overwhelming response from the public.

Passing sentence today, Judge Stephen Clarke said: "Alan Corney was a gentleman of the old school and Crawford behaved in an extreme fashion, in a mindless act of violence causing him a grave injury."

Judge Clarke added that "society has lost the ability to respect each other" in reference to Crawford's "drunken, and uncontrollable behaviour".

Detective Inspector Andy Smith of Cheshire’s Major Investigation Team who led the inquiry, said: "This has been a complicated and challenging investigation for my team.

"The support from the public was crucial in tracing Crawford and I'd like to pass on the gratitude of Alan's family.

"This type of offence is rare in the community of Parkgate and it is reassuring to know that the offender has been jailed.

"I hope that today's sentence will help bring a degree of closure to Alan's family and help them begin to rebuild their lives after this sad and tragic loss of a husband and father."

Wirral Globe

Personaly i think this is disgusting!
RIP Mr Corney

Yob given 18-months for head-butt attack on Parkgate man who later died



A MAN whose ill 67-year-old father died nearly three months after he was head-butted by a teenage yob today slammed an 18-month custody sentence handed to his attacker.

James Crawford, 18, was put behind bars yesterday for viciously assaulting Alan Corney as he enjoyed a walk with his wife in picturesque Parkgate, Neston.

Warrington crown court heard how the teenager went “out of control” after the antique dealer asked him to stop swearing in The Parade on November 14 last year.

Crawford admitted grievous bodily harm and received a custody term of under two years yesterday, the maximum Judge Stephen Clarke was allowed to pass.

But his heartbroken family admitted they were “extremely disappointed” by the result and strongly felt Crawford’s jumping headbutt left Mr Corney “dead”.

The father-of-two collapsed weeks later and fell into a coma from which he never recovered.

Duncan Bold, prosecuting, said: “The language they were using and their behaviour was described by Mrs Corney as disgusting and she felt intimidated and vulnerable.

“Alan Corney approached them, asked them to keep their language down and took hold of the defendant by his clothing.

“Although causing no real threat, the defendant went ‘sick’ at Mr Corney. He went mad, jumped into the air and crashed down onto his face with his head.”

The court then heard how Crawford “jumped around excitedly and laughed” before running away.

Mr Corney, who walked with a limp and had a paralysed arm after two strokes, suffered a broken cheek bone and developed a blood clot on the brain after being headbutted.

He collapsed at home and died in hospital on February 6 after brain surgery, which left him in a coma.

But because Mr Corney suffered a second bleed on the brain, it could not be proven evidentially the head-butt caused his death.

His distraught family disagreed.

His son Michael said: “Our family will never recover from the vicious assault on my father by James Crawford.

“We welcome the conviction of GBH, but we are very disappointed we were unable to pursue the charge of manslaughter.

“The judge had his hands tied. He has received the maximum sentence which could be handed out today.

“This could have been anyone’s mother, father or grandparent.

“You have to remember all he did was ask the two young lads to stop swearing.

“He had a paralysed arm and left leg, he did not look a well man.

“One of his last experiences of his life was being viciously assaulted by a hoody.

“He went through the pain of the injuries. It was not a quick death – it was painful all round.

“Now I remember him in a hospital bed rather than the good times.”

Passing sentence, Judge Clarke said: “It has an all-to-familiar ring of what is happening time and time again in our villages, towns and cities. People act without any thought about the consequences of what they are doing and show the merest respect to other human beings.

“Courts can only do so much. The real problems lie in our society, which has lost respect for each other.

“You were aware of what you were doing and aware of who you were doing it to, an elderly gentleman old enough to be your grandfather, and I hope you are ashamed.”

Detective Inspector Andy Smith, of Cheshire police, said: “It was a cowardly attack on a vulnerable individual.

“Norma, his wife, will never get over it.

“All they did was go for a quiet drink in Parkgate Parade.”

Crawford, of Claypit Lane, Wrexham, has previous convictions for theft and criminal damage and was living in a hostel at the time of the attack.

THE ECHO

I note that the scumbag who did this is currently serving 18 months for glassing a girl in the face. He'll be out in February with good behaviour.

Only a matter of time before he kills someone.