Elderly Man Struck in County Antrim Has ‘1% Chance of Survival’, Court Hears

A court was informed that an elderly man, who sustained a punch in County Antrim during the weekend, has a 1% probability of survival. The 74-year-old individual was hit in the head and rendered unconscious in Antrim town on Saturday evening. On Monday, a police officer informed Coleraine Magistrates’ Court that the man is currently in intensive care, suffering from injuries described as “potentially life-ending or life-changing.” Marcus Fleming, aged 21, residing at Cedarmount in Antrim, made a court appearance facing charges of grievous bodily harm. The police constable stated his ability to link the defendant to the incident. He testified to the court that a witness observed Mr Fleming and a woman engaged in pushing and swearing at each other on Station Road a short time after 19:30 GMT. According to the witness’s statement to police, Mr Fleming requested a cigarette from her and swore directly at her before the elderly man, who was out walking, stepped in. The court was informed that the man received a single punch to the face, subsequently causing him to fall to the ground. Following his arrest, the police officer reported that the defendant confessed to police that he struck the elderly man, but asserted that he had been struck initially. A defence attorney characterized the situation as “a very sad case” in which the defendant has shown himself to be “extremely remorseful.” He stated that his client “fully accepted his involvement from the get go” and that the incident constituted “a one punch case, not a sustained attack.” His legal representative affirmed that “there was no pre-meditation” but acknowledged a confrontation in which his client fully accepted his role. Mr Fleming also faces charges for two counts of criminal damage and one count of attempted criminal damage. The police officer informed the court that the defendant exhibited anger while being transported in police vehicles, and that he spat and urinated within the cell of the police van. A request for bail was denied, and he is scheduled to appear in court again at a subsequent date. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content found on external websites. Information regarding our policy on external linking is available.