Man appears in court charged with manslaughter of pensioner

An Antrim man already charged with attacking a pensioner appeared in court today charged with his manslaughter.

As 21-year-old Marcus Fleming appeared by videolink at Antrim Magistrates Court, sitting in Ballymena, a prosecuting lawyer confirmed that as 74-year-old Tony Miskimmon had sadly passed away, “a manslaughter charge is to be laid against the defendant”.

Fleming, in custody but who has an address at Cedarmount in Antrim, was formally charged with Mr Miskimmon’s manslaughter on 6 November this year and while the 21-year-old confirmed the understood the charge, a police officer testified that she believed she could connect him to the offence.

Defence counsel Grant Powles confirmed he was not taking any issue with the connection.

Earlier this month Fleming was charged with causing GBH on 2 November this year, causing criminal damage and one charge of attempted criminal damage to a police cell and vehicle on the same date.

Following the incident outside Antrim Primary School the pensioner was placed into a medically induced coma and the court was told that the prognosis was “not a good outlook” with only a “one per cent chance of survival”.

Mr Miskimmon succumbed to his injuries and passed away four days after the assault.

In court today District Judge Nigel Broderick said the charge alleging manslaughter “is a significant development”.

The prosecution asked for the case to be adjourned for a month “for an update on the full file” and Mr Powles raised no objections.

Judge Broderick remanded Fleming back into custody to appear again on Christmas Eve.

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