dalhousie

I read this in the press today, but I am alway a bit sceptical of the tabloids so is this shocking article true. I can't really believe it to be honest.


"AN innocent father who was mistaken for a trouble-making yob has been punched to death in an attack of supermarket checkout rage.

The murder of 57-year-old Kevin Tripp in Sainsbury's, in Merton, southwest London, has shocked a capital that in recent months has become almost inured to daily reports of random violence and knife murders. Most have involved youth-on-youth assaults, not a father shopping for his family.

Mr Tripp was shopping at 7.30pm when an argument broke out near him. Witnesses said a female customer accused another shopper of pushing ahead of her in the queue and insulting her. She spotted the abusive youth at a customer counter in the supermarket a moment later, and called her partner on a mobile phone.

He allegedly stormed into the store and she told him "That's the guy, that's the guy". But he thought she was pointing at Mr Tripp, a 57-year-old structural engineer, not at the youth in the queue ahead of him. Mr Tripp was punched once in the face. But the single blow was so hard, he collapsed unconscious on to the supermarket floor, blood gushing from his mouth and nose. He was rushed to hospital but his life support was switched off yesterday morning.

Mr Tripp's distraught partner, Josephine, and their daughter were yesterday collected from their terrace home by relatives. They were too upset to talk, but neighbours paid tribute to the dead man.

Police arrested 37-year-old Tony Virsami and charged him with murder. His partner Antoinette Richardson, 37, was also charged with murder. One shopper yesterday said: "It's like road rage, isn't it? "But in a supermarket. Someone with a short temper, and that's how it gets them."

Labour MP Siobhain McDonagh knew Mr Tripp and was shocked by the attack. "Kevin was a quiet, self-effacing man," she said. "The last thing in the world he would do would be to become involved in anything violent. It's completely unbelievable that a store thousands of people use a week should be the scene of such unprovoked violence."

A Sainsbury's worker, Mauricette Kouadio, 40, said that no one could believe what had happened. "There was a very rude 18- or 19-year-old guy shouting at me at the desk, insulting me and telling me he would 'break my face'. "Earlier he had said something to a woman. She came upstairs with her husband and said 'That's the guy'. "Standing behind the youth was an innocent man waiting to be served. "He fell on the floor. He had a cut to his head, blood in his nose, his mouth was full of blood. It was everywhere. "He was the wrong guy." "


dalhousie

bcworld

As terrible as the story is I'm not sure why you would be so sceptical of it. Stories of people being killed by a single punch are relatively common, I've certainly heard of a few in Brisbane. I'm sure normally the intent to kill someone wasn't there, that doesn't excuse the crime however.

stevenglish

If only he'd gone there the week before it was Beat one, get one free

dalhousie

Yes your right of course. I was initially upset because it was over what seemed to me such a minor incident and therefore could happen to anyone - or if I am totally honest to me. I can just about cope with gangs bashing other gangs, but being an older woman this incident gave me a bit of a jolt I can tell you. It has made me very aware of what I will say or do in public in future.

dalhousie

bcworld

Very true. The case I remember from Brisbane is especially shocking. Some guy punched and kicked another guy in the head because he was in a bad mood & the guy made some comment to him as they walked passed each other. The victim died shortly later, the other guy was completely let off, of both murder & manslaughter because the judge said it was an accident (in other word he didn't intend to kill hm)!

stevenglish

Thing is this was a fully grown adult, not a gang member or hoodie. The bloke's probably got previous for G/ABH, and this time he was unlucky enough to punch this guy in exactly the right spot. It's a bloody shame that an innocent bystander pays with his life cos some arsehole can't hold his temper.

stevenglish

I always thought manslaughter took care of that one.that's just bizarre, was the judge his dad or something?

bcworld

Who knows - don't get it myself.

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,21485699-2,00.html

NedKelly

The plod picked up the murderer suspects girlfriend and charged her with murder as well:-

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...ers-death.html

Assegai

Death at Sainsburys is this true???


Man in the pub feeling very downharted, The barman asks whats wrong?

" Its my wife I think she's having an affair ". So the barman asks well what are you going to do about it?

" I would love to kill the bitch, but I wouldnt want to do the time, if I got caught "

So the barman suggests he talk to Artie, a rough looking musclehead with tattos and piercings. After explaining his problem with Artie, the solution is found, Artie will kill his wife and because Artie hates women so much, he agrees to do the job for just one pound.

So the arangement is made, Artie will kill the mans wife next Saturday morning at Sainsburys, when she is doing the weekly shop.

So Saturday arrives and the man rings Artie to make sure he's in place and to tell Artie, that his wife is 35yrs, 5ft 6",blonde hair, and is wearing a light blue tracksuit.

So Artie gets into position is some bushes in Sainsbury's Carpark and waits, soon after he see's a woman leaving the store pushing a trolley, and she matches the description given. So without delay he creeps up behind her, drags her into the bushes and strangles her to death.

Just as he thought the job was done he sees another woman, wearing a similar tracksuit and with similar hair, age, etc. Fearing he has killed the wrong woman, Artie grabs this woman to, and she meets the same fate as the first.

Sadly for Artie he doesnt make it to far before being caught by the police, and arrested for double murder.

So as you can imagine, the two killings hit all the local and national papers next morning with all the front pages covered with the gruesom details, one paper simply had the following headline.

" Artie Chokes, Two for a Pound at Sainsburys "

tasmas

My sister-in-law's brother got punched during a night out in Middlesbrough. he fell to the ground banged his head on the kerb and died. the guy that punched him got 5 years, served 2.5years.
What gets me is when some arsehole drives into a family killing a couple of them and then only gets done for death by dangerous driving etc. and gets 5 years. Like that footballer, kills 2 boys, is drunk with no insurance and what will he get. erm about 5 years. Both instances manslaughter if not murder.

steveandtina

I'm glad some of you find this funny I'm sure the family of the victim will use them jokes at his funeral.


Someone we know who lives local was kicked to death by the unliecenced door men of a pub and guess what they got off scott free this week WTF is going on? this was not a mouthy yob he was in his 30's just about to be married.

Vash the Stampede

Sadly, yes.

Beeb article here:

EvannTel

Well at least in blighty they're trying them with murder. Albeit it will fail and I guess manslaughter will be delivered. However here there seems to be string of them getting off with little more that GBH. The argument being you cannot foresee one punch killing someone. Well in the last 12 months there must have been half a dozen cases in Perth alone. Surely now we have enough evidence and publicity that punching someone once can be fatal.

At least use manslaughter and let the judge use some discretion in sentencing to reflect the nature of the assault and the individual.

You punch someone, they die, your fault. And I'm a liberal!

blueballs

A VITAL witness in the Sainsbury’s queue-rage murder told The Sun last night: “It should’ve been me.”

Adam Prendergast, 19, believes M.E. sufferer Kevin Tripp, 57, was attacked instead of him in a case of mistaken identity.



Claims ... Adam Prendergast
He spoke out as Antoinette Richardson, a gran aged 37, arrived handcuffed at court yesterday charged with murdering Kevin.

Her lover is also charged.

Adam said the tragedy unfolded after a woman pushed into a queue in front of him and his stepdaughter, eight.

A row broke out and she called him “a little tramp”. He replied by telling her to “f**k off out my face”.

Adam claimed she walked off, making a phone call.

Minutes later, as he rowed with an assistant over the service, he heard a “slap” behind him.


He said: “A guy had been slapped and he fell like a tombstone. His body fell straight. It was rigid. I heard his head hit the floor like a thud.





“The woman shop assistant I had an argument with then pointed at me and said, ‘It’s not him. It’s him!’

"I ran as I did not want to get hit.”

Adam, of Mitcham, Surrey, fled to a security room in the store in Merton, South West London.

He watched on CCTV as Kevin’s alleged attacker was taken away in handcuffs.

He said: “It was a minor disagreement over the queue space. The woman made it worse than it actually was and the guy over-reacted.



Victim ... Kevin Tripp
“I cannot believe someone is dead. It was pointless – he’s dead for nothing.”




Jobless Adam was questioned by police on suspicion of public order offences after Tuesday’s incident and bailed.

Last night, Kevin’s partner Josephine Jones, who lived with him and their daughter, five, in Merton, said: “I still can’t believe my Kev has gone. He was a lovely man.”

Former heroin addict Richardson was remanded in custody until September by magistrates in Sutton.

Tony Virasami, 37, of Catford, South East London, was remanded in custody on Thursday.