A pensioner strangled a 12-year-old boy after his partner complained about the mess he and his group of friends were making at a McDonald's restaurant, a court was told. Robert Wynne, 67, assaulted the youngster at the fast food chain on Rice Lane, Liverpool earlier this year.
The victim, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, suffered bruising to his neck as a result of the incident, the Mirror reports. Wynne was visiting the restaurant with his partner when they spotted a crowd of young people, including the victim, sitting at another table.
His partner became angered after the group appeared to be making a mess with their food, Liverpool Magistrates' Court heard. She confronted the children, and, while several of the youngsters left, the victim told her to stop shouting at him and his friends.
Wynne then grabbed the victim around the neck and strangled him before finally being let go. Photos shown to the court showed significant bruising around the boy's neck in the days following the assault.
In a victim impact statement, the boy said the incident had made him feel nervous about going out and the bruising caused him pain after the assault. He said: "I felt like I couldn't breathe at the time and felt like my neck was sore for a number of days after."
Wynne, who has no recent convictions, pleaded guilty to assault at an earlier hearing. David Kilty, defending, said he had broken down in interviews with the probation service because of his shame around the incident.
Mr Kilty said he personally believed it was Wynne's nervousness about "a confrontation with a group that has caused him to react in the way he has" - but added that Wynne himself made no excuses for his behaviour. He said: "He is apologetic, remorseful and shameful about this behaviour."
Wynne has a number of health problems and Mr Kilty appealed to the judge to take these into account when sentencing him. District Judge Wendy Lloyd said Wynne "completely lost the plot" during his assault on the boy.
She said: "Anybody seeing those marks would quite rightly be shocked. You are a grown man and a big man, despite your health problems, and he was a skinny young lad."
District Judge Lloyd said Wynne’s quick acceptance of his guilt and his behaviour in interviews with probation officers showed he clearly did feel remorse but told him: "You should have known better - much better." Wynne replied: "I should have."
Wynne, of Hartleys Avenue, was ordered to pay compensation to the boy and made the subject of a curfew which prevents him from leaving his home between 7pm and 7am for the next four months.
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