Murder probe as OAP killed in Coventry snooker hall attack

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A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a pensioner was killed inside a Coventry snooker hall



Patrick Redmond was punched to the floor in the snooker hall at Rileys Snooker Hall in the city centre just before 11pm on Monday night.

The 68-year-old from Coundon was taken to hospital with a serious head injury, but sadly nothing could be done to save him and his life support was switched off yesterday.

A 37-year-old Radford man was arrested on suspicion of wounding but has now been re-arrested on suspicion of murder.

Rileys today expressed its shock and deep sadness over the attack, as tributes were paid to Mr Redmond.

Today, police vehicles remained positioned outside the snooker hall in Hertford Place.

Chief Inspector Ed Foster said: “This is a tragic case and our sympathies go to the family of the victim."

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Man charged with murder over Coventry snooker hall death

A man has been charged with murdering a pensioner following an altercation at a Coventry snooker hall earlier this week.

Patrick Redmond, 68, was taken to hospital after paramedics were called to Rileys, in Hertford Place, on Monday night.

He died at the city’s University Hospital the next day after his life support machine was turned off.

Carl Pinder, 37, of Foster Road, Radford, has now been charged with murder and appeared at Coventry Magistrates’ Court this morning.

The case was committed to Warwick Crown Court and the next hearing will be on Monday.

Pinder had originally arrested on suspicion of wounding, but was re-arrested on suspicion of murder following Mr Redmond’s death.

Patrick, born in Dublin, came to Coventry in 1959 and attended Cardinal Wiseman School where he excelled at academic subjects.

After school, he trained as a teacher and then went on to achieve a Bachelor of Philosophy degree in Educational Studies, followed by a Master of Education degree.

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Coventry man jailed over Riley's snooker hall death

A man has been jailed for four-and-a-half years for causing the death of a Coventry pensioner.

Pinder, 37, from Radford, appeared at Warwick Crown Court today where the charge was downgraded to manslaughter and he entered a guilty plea.

He was then sentenced to four-and-a-half years in prison.

A statement on behalf of Patrick’s family was released following his death.

They said: “Patrick was a much-loved brother and uncle, who will be sorely missed by his family.

“He was highly intelligent, very witty and entertaining, and extremely good company at family gatherings and dinner parties.

“We as a family, are very sad to have lost him.”

Patrick was born in Dublin and came to Coventry in 1959, attending Cardinal Wiseman School where he excelled at academic subjects.

After school, Patrick trained as a teacher and then went on to achieve a Bachelor of Philosophy degree in educational studies, followed by a Master of Education degree. His family said that while he was teaching, he co-wrote a musical called Mobstermania, which was based on Shakespeare’s King Lear.

His passion shone through when he lived in Bedford and was in an drama society, and he played the leading roles in Macbeth, Anthony and Cleopatra, Hamlet and King Lear.

Patrick’s family said he had a great love of classical music, but not only did he love to listen to the opera, he studied the composers.

The statement added: “He always dreamt, if he won the Lottery, of going to Bayreuth in Germany, to see the whole of Wagner’s Ring Cycle performed.

“Sadly, this can never now happen.”

Mr Redmond’s partner of six years, Ian Cracknell, added: “He was a genuine, nice, loving person. He was a lovely man and you just couldn’t meet anyone as nice as him.

“He was my best friend and partner. I will never meet anyone like him again.

“Family and friends were important to Pat - he would love to catch up with friends we have known since we first met.

“All of his friends will miss him so much. He was centred around his family and will be missed, especially by his nephews and nieces.”

So no prosecutor's statement, no judge's summation, no explanation for the crime and no mugshot? We know as little about this case as we did to begin with!

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Mugshot of Coventry man jailed over Riley's snooker hall death



This is the face of a Coventry man jailed for killing a former teacher with a single punch.

Carl Pinder hurled verbal abuse at 68-year-old Patrick Redmond before flooring him with the one blow at Riley’s snooker hall in Hertford Place on February 27 this year.

Mr Redmond was left with a fractured skull which proved fatal as he died the next day in hospital.

Pinder, 37, from Radford, had been drinking at the club but became agitated when Mr Redmond arrived - claiming to a friend there had been previous issues between him and a member of his family.

He was then abusive and tried to order Mr Redmond to leave before landing the fatal blow.

Pinder pleaded guilty to manslaughter at Warwick Crown Court on Friday and was jailed for four-and-a-half years.

Speaking afterwards, Det Chief Insp Edward Foster, from West Midlands Police CID, said: “Mr Redmond was only out to enjoy himself socially but ended up with a fatal head injury.

“He had been subjected to unnecessary abuse and threats before he was punched in a completely unprovoked attack.

“Although this sentencing won’t bring Mr Redmond back we hope it will at least provide some comfort to his family that their loved-ones killer is now behind bars.”

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Snooker hall victim's family weren't allowed to hold him as he lay dying



The devastated family of Patrick Redmond have revealed they were unable to hold him as he lay dying because he was a “crime scene”.

The heart-wrenching moment came as the 68-year-old’s family were at his hospital bedside after he was felled by a single punch at a Riley’s snooker hall in Coventry.

Patrick had suffered a fractured skull in the attack and his life support machine was turned off the next day.

His attacker, Carl Pinder, pleaded guilty to manslaughter at Warwick Crown Court last week and was jailed for four-and-a-half years.

Patrick moved to Coventry from Dublin as a child in 1959 and studied at Cardinal Wiseman School before going on to become a teacher himself.

And his family have spoken of the “nightmare” they have endured since losing Patrick to “an act of mindless brutality”.

The statement said: “As a family we have all felt as if we have been catapulted in to a nightmare - someone else’s nightmare.

“This is what happens on the news or in soap operas, not in real life and not in your life.

“If a person dies suddenly of natural causes it is distressing enough, but to lose someone you love as the result of an act of mindless brutality is utterly devastating.

“We do not feel that we will ever recover from this.

“As he lay dying in hospital we were not allowed to touch or hold him because this might compromise the forensic evidence.

“‘Your brother is a crime scene’, we were told.

“We could not touch him until he had had two post mortem examinations, when he felt as cold as marble.”

The family statement added: “We have lost Patrick and nothing can bring him back - our lives are altered forever.

“He was a much-loved brother and uncle, taken from us well before his time in an act of violence.

“That makes things so much harder to bear for us all.

“Patrick was intelligent, witty and a great conversationalist. He was caring and compassionate, and helped many people throughout his life in numerous ways.

“The world has lost a lovely person well before his time.”