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Woman convicted over shop row death

Date: 26/2/2009 22:48:34

A grandmother is behind bars for the manslaughter of an innocent shopper after a supermarket queue-jumping row.

Antonette Richardson, 37, was at boyfriend Tony Virasami's side when he knocked Kevin Tripp to the ground in a Sainsbury's store in south-west London after he wrongly thought the 57-year-old had been involved in the row with her.

Southwark Crown Court, where Richardson was remanded in custody for sentencing, heard she "egged" Virasami on as he delivered a "most almighty" blow to Mr Tripp's head and hurled him to the ground. He suffered severe injuries and died a short time later in hospital.

Virasami and Richardson were both accused of manslaughter and while Virasami admitted the charge, she protested her innocence and insisted she had never wanted anyone harmed.

Her trial heard Richardson, who has previous convictions for deception and handling stolen goods more than 20 years ago, went to the store in Merton to buy 10 cigarettes but she was accused by "foul-mouthed" Adam Prendergast of pushing in.

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She told jurors: "I was quite shocked. I didn't think I was pushing in front of anyone. He got very aggressive. He was threatening to knock me out if I dared say anything else to him. I didn't say anything else to him. I was too frightened of his reaction. I was really upset."

Virasami was waiting for her outside but as soon as she told him what had happened, he stormed inside and demanded to know who was responsible.

Richardson said she indicated Mr Prendergast, shouting: "That is him, that is him," but he thought she had pointed at Mr Tripp and attacked him instead.

The court was told witness Keith Lambert believed a clenched fist had been used in the attack, and he spoke of a hard "haymaker punch, a wide sweep... against the man's head", accompanied by a "loud smack".

Both Richardson and Virasami will be sentenced at a date yet to be fixed.

2012 © Press Association

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Man shot in pub in Manchester
The victim, named by sources as 23-year-old Mark Short, was gunned down in the Cotton Tree pub in Market Street, Droylsden, Greater Manchester shortly before 11.50pm yesterday.Three other men, believed to be related to Mr Short, were also injured and are

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