Man touched pensioner’s bottom before knocking him out

A young man felt a pensioner’s bottom in a chip-shop and then knocked him unconscious when the elderly man reacted by giving him an elbow.

Kevin Crawford knocked Patrick Deeney unconscious with just one punch during the altercation at the Chicken Corner Takeaway in Buncrana, Co Donegal.

Terrified friends of Mr Deeney tried to revive him and told his attacker “You f***ing killed him.”

Crawford, now 22, appeared at Letterkenny Circuit Court on Thursday charged with assault causing harm to pensioner Patrick "Pa" Deeney, now 67.

The court was shown graphic CCTV footage of the attack, which took place in the early hours of April 26th, 2014.

Touched woman’s bottom

The footage showed Crawford initially touching a woman’s bottom as she was leaving the takeaway, before she lashed out at him and left the premises.

He then stood beside Mr Deeney, who was out with his son-in-law and friends celebrating the christening of his grandson, due to take place the following day.

Crawford, of Burdwood, Buncrana, was then seen touching Mr Deeney on the bottom, before the 65-year-old lashed out with an elbow to Crawford as he queued for food.

The accused reacted by punching Mr Deeney in the face, sending him sprawling backwards and out cold on the floor of the chip shop.

Friends of Mr Deeney, of Castle Avenue, Buncrana, rushed to his aid as blood streamed from his nose and mouth.

The court heard how one of Mr Deeney’s friends said “You’ve f***ing killed him.”

A number of people, including Crawford, rushed to call the emergency services and was rushed to Letterkenny University Hospital by ambulance.

Aggressive and intimidatory

In his statement, Mr Deeney said Crawford’s behaviour was aggressive and intimidatory in a sexual way.

He revealed how he had been operated on five times in his rectum in hospital and almost became incontinent before he had been “poked” in the backside by Crawford on the night.

Barrister for Crawford, Peter Nolan, denied his client poked Mr Deeney in the area of his anus but used a "cupped hand" on just one occasion.

He added that everyone was in good form and there was genuine banter going on about Donegal beating Mayo in the All-Ireland GAA Final.

Shay Kinsella, the son-in-law of Mr Deeney, said he thought Crawford had killed his wife’s father.

He told Crawford that he had killed Mr Deeney as he stood over him.

He told the court Crawford then said to him “He had it coming, he deserved it.”

The trial continues on Friday.