Brutal Attack on Vulnerable Pensioner
A prolific thief who punched an 87-year-old man to death for his fish and chips has been handed a life sentence at the Old Bailey. Peter Augustine, 59, brutally murdered frail John Mackey after following him from a Co-op store in Manor House, north London, on the afternoon of May 6.
Augustine had been watching Mr Mackey, who had dementia and walked with a stick, as he visited the supermarket and then a takeaway to buy his dinner. The killer shouted 'give me the bag' during the confrontation before launching a savage, minute-long assault that left his elderly victim lying prone on the floor and bleeding profusely from his head.
The Investigation and Arrest
Police pieced together the events from CCTV footage, which showed Mr Mackey setting off from his address shortly after 5pm wearing a distinctive trilby hat and grey mackintosh coat. At 5.12pm, he entered the Co-op where he bought cornflakes, an own-brand cottage pie and a Mirror newspaper, paying with a £20 note and putting the £11.50 change in his trouser pocket.
Eighteen minutes later, Augustine began following the pensioner. Mr Mackey then went into Manor Kebab at 5.36pm and bought sausage and chips while the defendant loitered outside. The victim was last seen on camera at 5.50pm, with Augustine reappearing on CCTV three minutes later carrying what appeared to be the victim's bag.
Officers arrested Augustine at his home, where they discovered a half-eaten portion of saveloy and chips. During his arrest, captured on police footage, Augustine pleaded: 'I haven't killed nobody'. A subsequent search of his room uncovered what remained of Mr Mackey's groceries and wrapping from the cottage pie, and sausage and chips.
Court Sentencing and Family Tributes
Augustine, who refused to attend court, was handed a life sentence with a minimum term of 23 years before he can be considered for release by Her Honour Judge Sarah Whitehouse KC. She described it as 'a cowardly attack' and noted the defendant had shown no remorse.
'Peter Augustine killed this gentle, innocent man,' Judge Whitehouse said. 'He attacked Mr Mackey for a box of cornflakes, a pint of milk and a saveloy sausage. I have no doubt that if the defendant was genuinely starving, I have no doubt that this kind, generous gentleman would have shared what he had with him.'
Mr Mackey's family welcomed the verdict, stating: 'Knowing [Augustine] will never see the light of day is the only consolation we have to losing such a wonderful uncle.' His niece Patricia Schan described her Arsenal-supporting uncle as 'perfect', one of 11 brothers and sisters who had no children of his own but was very close to his 22 nieces and nephews.
She told the court: 'He always had a twinkle in his eye, dressed immaculately and never seen without one of his many trilby hats.' The family paid tribute outside court to John, an Irishman from Callan in County Kilkenny who had lived in London for around 70 years, describing him as 'a quiet, unassuming, and charming man'.
Augustine received a life term with a minimum of 23 years for murder, less the 203 days he had spent in custody. He was also handed an eight-year sentence for robbery and a further four-week sentence for theft committed three days before the attack, with all sentences to run concurrently. The judge indicated Augustine may never be released from prison.
