Witness tells trial of wrestling with teenager whose punch killed army vet Dennis
SEVENTEEN-YEAR-OLD DENIES MURDER IN FRACAS AT CITY BUS STATION
I glanced around and saw three young lads come past me and then noticed an elderly gent.
Witness
WITNESSES have told a manslaughter trial how they saw a teenager punch an 82-year-old army veteran to the face and flooring him at Derby bus station.
Bus passenger Ian Rodgers told a jury how he then grabbed the 16-year-old accused and told him “you don’t hit an old man” before the teenager managed to wriggle free from his clutches.
A second witness, Nicholas Butt, told Derby Crown Court how he was waiting at bay 15 for his transport when he, too, witnessed the blow delivered to the face of Dennis Clarke. Mr Butt then went to try and help the elderly man. But he said Mr Clarke “never replied”.
The teenager whose punch resulted in Mr Clarke’s death is now 17 and therefore has his identity is protected by law. He is on trial for causing the death of Mr Clarke.
He denies a single count of manslaughter, claiming he struck Mr Clarke in self-defence. Mr Clarke suffered serious injuries as a result of the punch and died nine days later.
Prosecutor David Outterside asked Mr Rodgers to recall what he remembered of the events, which happened between bays 13 and 14 at the bus station at around 4.30pm on Thursday, May 6, last year.
He replied: “I glanced around and saw three young lads come past me and then noticed an elderly gent. They just moved forwards to him and they exchanged loud words. He then pushed one of them away and the guy in the middle punched him.”
Mr Outterside asked Mr Rodgers: “What happened after the punch?”
He replied: “He (Mr Clarke) fell.
There was no saving himself. He was unconscious at the time I think. I did not take my eyes off the man who threw the punch, I apprehended him.”
Mr Outterside said: “What did you say?”
Mr Rodgers replied: “I said ‘you don’t hit an old man,’ he was trying to wriggle free.”
Witness Mr Butt said he was waiting for his bus and saw the punch to Mr Clarke’s face who then fell.
He said: “The old bloke fell to the floor and I ran over to his aid. I said to him ‘are you all right, are you breathing?’ but the old bloke never replied.”
A third witness, Aiden Monaghan, told the trial how he, too, witnessed the punch and went to Mr Clarke’s aid.
Asked by Mr Outterside if he heard the defendant say anything after he punched the pensioner, he replied: “Yes, she shouted ‘d***head,’ left him on the floor and ran off.
“I went to help the old man, there was blood coming from his mouth and he went in and out of consciousness, I put him in the recovery position.”
Opening the trial on Monday, Mr Outterside, prosecuting, told the jury of eight women and four men how the incident began when Mr Clarke challenged the defendant and two of his friends, both then aged 13, as they were “hanging around” and messing about by the escalators in the Eagle Market.
He said: “(The defendant) was just 16 years of age when he threw that punch, it was a fatal punch which put Dennis Clarke to the floor and resulted in a skull fracture. (The defendant) will tell you he was acting in self-defence. “The crown say this was not selfdefence, not in a million years. This was a punch thrown in anger because Dennis Clarke had the temerity to tell him and his friends off. It was an assault by (the defendant) who would not let it go. He was 82 and was surrounded by three fit teenagers. There is no issue that the punch caused the death of Dennis Clarke and there is absolutely no issue (the defendant) threw it. The issue is the word ‘unlawfully.’”
No further action is being taken against two other teenage boys who were arrested at the time in connection with the same incident.
The trial continues.