Daughter ‘killed her frail dad by throwing T V remote at his head’
A WOMAN annoyed by the way her elderly father was speaking to her killed him by throwing a TV remote control at his head, a court has heard.
Nicola Townsend, 50, tossed the device at Terence Townsend, 78, because she was frustrated and angry with him, a jury was told.
The remote control hit his head causing an injury and, when he went into the kitchen to tend to his wounds, she pushed him over and broke several of his ribs, it was said.
Bristol Crown Court heard that Mr Townsend, of Bath, Somerset, suffered several injuries from the altercation. He called his own ambulance after his daughter fled the scene. Paramedics found Mr Townsend sitting in an armchair holding a towel to a wound on his head. He was taken to the Royal United Hospital in Bath where he passed away 12 days later as a result of broncopneumonia brought on by his injuries.
His daughter is charged with manslaughter at his home on December 27, 2017. The court was told how Townsend, also from Bath, targeted her ‘frail’ father after an argument.
The prosecution alleges that Townsend admitted the assault to her brother-in-law Douglas Campbell in a series of voicemails and phone calls. Mr Campbell then contacted the police.
Fiona Elder, prosecuting, told the court: ‘Nicola Townsend says she chucked a remote at Terence Townsend because she was annoyed with him, because of how he was speaking to her, because she was frustrated and angry with him.
‘She assaulted him in the living room then pushed him in the kitchen. She was aware of the frailty of her father.’ Mr Townsend, who suffered with osteoporosis, had initially said he had hit his head but later admitted that he thought Townsend may have thrown an aerosol can at him.
The prosecution alleges that Townsend said it was ‘an accident’ during her arrest. She is also accused of intimidation of a witness after allegedly attempting to contact Mr Campbell after being charged.
Miss Elder said: ‘She made numerous contacts. They were of a threatening nature.’ The messages included threats like ‘I am going to make sure you pay for this – people will be looking at you in disgust’ and ‘I am going to make sure you suffered as I have suffered’.
Townsend denies both charges of manslaughter and intimidation of a witness. The trial continues.