Pensioner chokes boy, 12, in McDonald's after confronting him over making a mess with his food
LIVERPOOL, UK: A Liverpool pensioner has been charged for strangling a 12-year-old boy after pleading guilty at the Liverpool Magistrates’ Court. Robert Wynne, 67, had confessed that he was triggered by his partner's frustration with a group of boys making a lot of mess at a McDonald’s restaurant on Rice Lane, Liverpool. The incident had taken place earlier this year, in which the victim suffered bruising to his neck, as per The Mirror report.
The 67-year-old was out dining with his partner when they noticed a bunch of young people at the other table, including the victim. She went to confront the children for "making a mess of their food," due to which most of them left the table. However, the victim had told her not to shout at him and his friends.
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This is when Wynne lost his cool and held the victim around the neck and choked him until finally letting go. The evidence shown to the court including the photos showed serious bruising around the neck of the boy that developed in the days following the incident.
The victim in his impact statement revealed how the assault has left him nervous whenever he plans to go out, and the bruising has brought him pain in the following days. "I felt like I couldn't breathe at the time and felt like my neck was sore for a number of days after," said the 12-year-old.
Defendant Wynne’s, lawyer David Kilty, told the court that the accused has no past criminal record, and had confessed to the assault in earlier hearings. He also shared with the court that the man has broken down several times in interviews before with the probation service, as he feels immense "shame around the incident."
Kilty further said that it was Wynne’s nervousness about "a confrontation with a group that has caused him to react in the way he has." However, he added that Wynne never defended his behavior and had said, “He is apologetic, remorseful and shameful about this behaviour."
District Judge Wendy Lloyd said, “Anybody seeing those marks would quite rightly be shocked. You are a grown man and a big man, despite your health problems, and he was a skinny young lad." She added, "You should have known better - much better." To which Wynne replied: "I should have."
Wynne had been ordered to pay compensation to the victim and made the subject of a curfew for next four months, preventing him from leaving his home between 7 pm and 7 am.