Footage shows woman kill pensioner with Alzheimer's in 'red mist' Lloyds Bank shove
The moment Courtney Richman fatally injured Myra Coutinho-Lopez was caught on the bank's CCTV
Footage shows the moment a frustrated bank customer saw "red" and pushed an elderly woman with Alzheimer's to the ground, causing injuries which killed her.
The CCTV shows Courtney Richman, 26, shoving 82-year-old Myra Coutinho-Lopez to the floor of the Lloyds Bank branch in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, on 6 December 2021.
Mrs Coutinho-Lopez died from her injuries 10 days after she was pushed by Richman, who suffered a "catastrophic loss of temper" when a "red mist" descended upon her, said prosecutors.
On Friday, Richman was sentenced to 16 months' imprisonment, suspended for 21 months, having been found guilty of manslaughter in February.
The footage from the branch shows how Richman, of Queens Avenue in Welwyn Garden City, got into an altercation with the victim.
Courtney Richman ran from Luton Crown Court after escaping immediate prison time as Sarah Cooper reports.
Mrs Coutinho-Lopez is seen at the start of the footage having a lengthy discussion with the cashier, as other customers stand in the queue. As she moves away from the desk, Richman says something to the older woman, who responds by swinging her handbag and hitting the 26-year-old.
Richman responds by pushing Ms Coutinho-Lopez to the floor.
Richman is then seen walking away from Mrs Coutinho-Lopez while people rush to help the elderly woman.
At the sentencing hearing, a victim impact statement from Mrs Coutinho-Lopez's daughter Michelle Lopez was read, in which she described Richman’s “heinous and vicious behaviour which has now left an unfathomable void in my life”.
She said her family were “trapped in an emotional prison” while Richman had “revelled in her freedom”.
Her brother flew over from the US after the incident, but his visit became "a solemn vigil" at his mother's bedside, she added.
Ms Lopez later said in a statement: “She’s left an unspeakable void to all who knew her including her beloved children, extended family and lifelong friends worldwide.
“The yearning for my mother’s presence is a constant ache in my heart, particularly as I observe other daughters engaging in mundane activities with their mothers, such as grocery shopping or sharing a coffee or meal together. These memorable moments now evoke a feeling of emptiness.
“Those who knew her miss her deeply and will continue to cherish her memory and honour her legacy of kindness, fortitude and generosity. She was a shining light on how to survive and thrive in life despite adversities and setbacks."
In mitigation, Richman's lawyers said she “wish[ed] that she could turn back the clock” and, though it was her fault, “there was no deliberate intention to harm”.
During the trial, jurors were told how Mrs Coutinho-Lopez became confused on her visit to the bank and as the queue of customers grew, Richman called to her: "There is nothing they can do. Move out of the way."
Mrs Coutinho-Lopez forgot she had withdrawn money three days earlier and caused a long queue to develop as she had a 15-minute argument with a cashier, the court heard.
Richman, who was in the queue, became more angry and felt Mrs Coutinho-Lopez was wasting everyone’s time, before pulling down her Covid mask and saying: "Hurry up - people don’t have all day."
Richman sarcastically applauded the moment when another customer helped Mrs Coutinho-Lopez.
As she passed, the older woman said: "Don’t speak to me like that - you are very rude. I bet your boyfriend has left you", before swinging her handbag.
During the hearing, prosecutor Martin Mulgrew told the jury Richman reacted in a "wholly inappropriate and unreasonably violent manner" and pushed the pensioner to the floor "with some force".
Mrs Coutinho-Lopez, who was described as "elegant, vibrant, outgoing, a beautiful lady" by her family was left with a fractured hip and shoulder from the attack.
Richman told the jury she acted instinctively and denied manslaughter and an alternative, lesser charge of inflicting grievous bodily harm.
Judge Michael Simon was critical of Lloyd's banking staff for failing to defuse the situation, with the manager failing to intervene.
He said: "The court calls on the banking sector as a whole to ensure that all customer-facing staff are provided with dementia awareness training, which includes recognised strategies for interacting with customers who experience such difficulties and for defusing conflict."It is not possible to be sure that if this had been in place in December 2021 that the events leading to the death of Mrs Coutinho-Lopez would not have happened, but on the evidence before this court it is highly likely that the incident would not have ended in tragedy as it did."
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