A 102-year-old great-grandad who died after allegedly being assaulted at a pub was a "well-known character" who locals would buy drinks for, his son said. Emergency services were called to the Crow's Nest pub in Cwmbran, South Wales, at about 10.25pm on August 1 following a report of an assault.
Phillip Ormerod, from Cwmbran, died in hospital this week following the incident. His son, Robert Ormerod, told the Press Association his dad had dementia and lived alone in the Llanyrafon neighbourhood he had raised his family in.
Son recalls father's routine
He said his dad used to visit the Crow's Nest regularly and described him as a popular character who young people would buy beer for when he visited the bar. Mr Ormerod said: "I feel sad – even though he could be difficult because of his age and dementia, still, you get used to him being around.
"Even though I suppose he wouldn't go on forever, he would've carried on I think for a bit." Phillip Ormerod, 102, was a great-grandad who worked as a design draughtsman before his retirement. He continued living in Llanyrafon following the death of his wife 40 years ago and was visited often by his two sons.
Family remembers a familiar face
Mr Ormerod said: "I used to visit him regularly, and then towards the end me and my brother used to keep the house clean as best we could, and buy his food because his eyesight had deteriorated. (He was diagnosed with dementia) a couple of years ago, he probably had it before that.
"He's well-known around here, although a lot of his generation are gone," he added. He said his dad would visit the pub two or three times a week, where he would drink beers, and described how he became a familiar face to some locals.
Arrest made in connection
"I suppose he became a pub character," he said. "It became a youngsters' pub, although it used to be a local pub where all ages went, and it was run very strictly by the landlord at the time, I remember." A 56-year-old man from Llanelli was arrested on suspicion of section 20 assault and remains under investigation.
