A man who caused the death of an elderly man by punching him in the face in an unprovoked attack in Adelaide’s CBD has pleaded guilty to manslaughter.
Key points:
- Francesco Candido was walking along Grote Street when he was punched in the head
- He died in hospital two weeks later
- Joel Raymond Page has pleaded guilty to his manslaughter
Francesco Candido, 89, was walking along Grote Street in the city one afternoon last month when he was attacked.
After being punched in the face, the elderly victim fell to the ground and hit his head, fracturing his skull.
He died in hospital two weeks later.
His attacker, Joel Raymond Page, 33, previously told the Adelaide Magistrates Court he did not remember what happened because he was so intoxicated.
CCTV footage showed Page stumbling down Grote Street before the attack.
Facing court today through a video link from custody, Page pleaded guilty to an upgraded charge of manslaughter.
He will face the Supreme Court next month.
Under South Australian law, perpetrators charged with serious offences including manslaughter are entitled to a discount of up to 25 per cent of their sentence if they plead guilty within four weeks of their first court appearance on that charge.
The sentencing discount was reduced from up to 40 per cent under a previous version of the legislation that was criticised for being too lenient towards serious offenders.
None of Mr Candido’s family members attended court for the hearing.
Page remains in custody and will be sentenced in the Supreme Court at a later date.
