Brutal Attack After Trip to the Shops
A 59-year-old man has been found guilty of murder after he fatally kicked, punched, and stamped on an 87-year-old pensioner during a robbery in north London. Peter Augustine, who was unemployed, targeted John Mackey after seeing him leave a Co-op store in Manor House on the afternoon of May 6.
The jury at the Old Bailey returned their verdict on Thursday, convicting Augustine of both robbery and murder. The victim's family, who were present in the public gallery, cheered and wept with relief upon hearing the decision, with one member heard declaring, "Justice, right – that’s what we wanted."
A Vulnerable Victim Followed Home
The court was told that passers-by witnessed Augustine attacking Mr Mackey and searching his jacket as he lay defenceless on the ground. Another member of the public alerted the police after hearing a shout of "give me the bag" and seeing the elderly man lying motionless on the pavement.
Mr Mackey, who stood at 5ft 5ins and weighed less than nine stone, regained consciousness but was unable to tell officers what had happened to him. He was treated in hospital for a brain bleed and broken ribs but succumbed to his injuries two days later.
Prosecutor Jane Bickerstaff KC stated that the elderly man would have been "largely unable to put up any resistance to the attack due to his age and infirmity." She told the court that Augustine used "extreme force" against a "vulnerable and largely defenceless man."
How the Events Unfolded
Police pieced together the tragic sequence of events from CCTV footage. Mr Mackey had left his home just after 5pm wearing a distinctive trilby hat and a grey mackintosh coat, and carrying a walking stick and a black bag.
At 5:12pm, he entered the Co-op, where he purchased a box of cornflakes, an own-brand cottage pie, and a Mirror newspaper. He paid with a £20 note and placed his £11.50 change in his trouser pocket.
Eighteen minutes later, Augustine began to follow the pensioner. Mr Mackey then visited Manor Kebab at 5:36pm to buy sausage and chips while the defendant waited outside. The victim was last captured on camera at 5:50pm. Augustine reappeared on CCTV just three minutes later, carrying what appeared to be Mr Mackey's bag.
A subsequent search of Augustine's room uncovered the remaining groceries from Mr Mackey's shopping, including the wrapping from the cottage pie and the sausage and chips.
At the time of the attack, Augustine was described as living in "reduced circumstances" and was effectively homeless. Peter Augustine is scheduled to be sentenced on November 28.
Tributes to a 'Beautiful, Kind Man'
A neighbour, Sandra Murphy, 65, paid a heartfelt tribute to John Mackey, describing him as a "beautiful, kind man." She said, "He was a lovely old Irishman who would do anything for anyone... He was an engineer and he was busy every day, and went out every day – he used to do gardening with his brother."
Ms Murphy added that he was always impeccably dressed. "He was very particular about his appearance, every day he had a trilby hat and a suit on," she continued. She also planned to lay flowers in his memory, stating, "He was so loved around here. No-one would have a bad word to say about John."
