Chief Reporter Luke Traynor reports on the anger of a Wirral family after a pensioner died following a violent yob headbutt

A SON whose sick 67-year-old father died nearly three months after he was head- butted by a teenage yob has condemned the 18-month sentence handed to his attacker.

James Crawford, 18, was put behind bars yesterday for viciously assaulting the 67-year-old as he enjoyed a walk with his wife in picturesque Parkgate, Wirral.

Warrington Crown Court heard how the teenager went “out of control” after the antique dealer had asked the yob to stop swearing on The Parade on November 14, last year.

Crawford admitted grievous bodily harm and was given a custodial term of under two years yesterday, the maximum Judge Stephen Clarke was allowed to pass.

But Mr Corney’s heartbroken family admitted they were “extremely disappointed” by the result and strongly felt Crawford’s jumping headbutt had effectively left Mr Corney “dead”.

The father-of-two collapsed weeks later and fell into a coma from which he never recovered.

Duncan Bold, prosecuting, said: “The language they were using and their behaviour was described by Mrs Corney as disgusting, and she felt intimidated and vulnerable.

“Alan Corney approached them and asked them to keep their language down and took hold of the defendant by his clothing.

“Although causing no real threat, the defendant went ‘sick’ at Mr Corney, he went mad, jumped in to the air and crashed down on to his face with his head.”

The court then heard how Crawford “jumped around excitedly and laughed” before running away.”

Mr Corney, who walked with a limp and had a paralysed arm after two strokes, suffered a broken cheek bone and developed a blood clot on the brain after being headbutted.

He collapsed at home and died weeks later in hospital on February 6, after brain surgery which left him in a coma.

But because Mr Corney suffered a second bleed on the brain, it could not be proven evidentially that the headbutt caused his death.

His distraught family, however, disagreed and said they still believed Crawford’s actions had effectively left the pensioner “dead”.

Son Michael said: “Our family will never recover from the vicious assault on my father by James Crawford.

“We welcome the conviction of GBH, but we are very disappointed we were unable to pursue the charge of manslaughter.

“The judge had his hands tied, he has received the maximum sentence that could be handed out.