Teenager killed pensioner half an hour after being freed by police, court told
A 15-year-old killed an elderly man just 30 minutes after he had been freed by police for attacking a shopkeeper with a knife.
The teenager punched Patrick Colquhoun, 70, who fell backwards and suffered a fatal injury when his head hit the road as a result of the attack in Victoria Road, in Glasgow’s Govanhill, on April 12.
The boy had earlier the same day struck Nadeen Mohammed with a blade at the 65-year-old’s off licence.
The teenager – who cannot be identified because of his age – appeared in the dock at the High Court in Glasgow on Tuesday.
He pleaded guilty, via John Scullion KC, to the culpable homicide, the Scottish equivalent to manslaughter, of Mr Colquhoun, and also admitted assaulting Mr Mohammed.
He is currently detained at a secure unit and will be sentenced next month.
Boy ‘had knife concealed in trousers’
The attack on Mr Mohammed occurred after the boy and a friend had gone to the store in Govanhill around 4pm on April 12. They demanded the shopkeeper and his son “come outside”.
Instead, the men told them to leave. Mr Mohammed then followed them before there was an altercation.
Angela Gray KC, prosecuting, said: “The boy removed a knife from the waistband of his trousers and made a slashing motion towards Mr Mohammed, striking him on the arm.”
It led to the boy being arrested that night. He was later released, having given an undertaking to attend at Glasgow Sheriff Court on April 30. Miss Gray said the boy was picked up by his mother, but jumped out of her car after becoming angry with her.
Around the same time, Mr Colquhoun had left his local bar, the Queen’s Park Cafe, to visit a takeaway.
At 11.42pm, after collecting his food, Mr Colquhoun was seen standing behind a car rented by the boy’s father.
CCTV captured the teenager coming into the street and accusing the pensioner of urinating on the vehicle.
Miss Gray said: “A witness saw the boy go towards Mr Colquhoun and punch him on the head.”
The boy then walked off as members of the public rushed to help the victim.
At one stage, the boy’s father is seen on CCTV moving the car away as a person performs chest compressions on Mr Colquhoun, who suffered a brain bleed, a large skull fracture and bruising.
The fact Mr Colquhoun had been drinking may have triggered a brain condition which could have been a “a potential contributing factor” in the death.
Lord Harrower deferred sentencing for a background report until October 18 in Edinburgh.