Pensioner who was punched has '1% chance of survival'
A 74-year-old man was approached by two people on Station Road in Antrim town on Saturday evening
- Published
A pensioner who was punched in County Antrim over the weekend has a 1% chance of surviving, a court has heard.
The 74-year-old man was struck in the head and knocked unconscious in Antrim town on Saturday night.
A police officer told Coleraine Magistrates' Court on Monday that the man is in intensive care with 鈥減otentially life-ending or life-changing鈥 injuries.
Marcus Fleming, 21, from Cedarmount in Antrim, appeared in court charged with grievous bodily harm.
The police constable said he could connect the defendant to the case.
He told the court a witness saw Mr Fleming and a woman pushing one another and cursing on Station Road shortly after 19:30 GMT.
The witness told police that Mr Fleming asked her for a cigarette and swore in her face before the pensioner who was out walking intervened.
The court heard the man was punched once in the face before he fell to the ground.
'Extremely remorseful'
After being arrested, the police officer said the defendant admitted to police that he hit the pensioner, but claimed he was hit first.
A defence lawyer described it as 鈥渁 very sad case鈥 where the defendant has been 鈥渆xtremely remorseful.鈥
He said his client 鈥渇ully accepted his involvement from the get go鈥 and that this was 鈥渁 one punch case, not a sustained attack.鈥
His lawyer said 鈥渢here was no pre-meditation鈥 but that there was a confrontation where he fully accepted his part.
Mr Fleming is also charged with two counts of criminal damage and one count of attempted criminal damage.
The police officer told the court the defendant was irate while travelling in police vehicles and that he spat and urinated in the cell in the police van.
An application for bail was refused and he is due to appear in court at a later date.