A teenage boy who 'karate-style flying kicked' a 74-year-old man into the River Mersey has apologised for his behaviour and said 'everyone makes mistakes'.
Benjamin Bridgeman recorded a video apology outside court after pleading guilty to assaulting the pensioner in Warrington on Sunday, April 25.
The 18-year-old admitted assault by beating and a 15-year-old co-accused, who can't be named for legal reasons, also pleaded guilty to common assault, the Liverpool ECHO reports.
It is believed the 15-year-old filmed the shocking moment Bridgeman, from Warrington, kicked the elderly victim with force as he stood on the banks of the river.
It was then posted onto Snapchat with a smiling emoji next to it.
The victim was left struggling in the water before being rescued by two heroic school girls Ellie Hughes and Khloe Woods, both 14.
The girls made a human chain to get him out of the water.
Those responsible ran away, and laughing could be heard on the footage.
As he left Warrington Magistrates Court, Benjamin Bridgeman gave an apology, and claimed he didn't realise how old the victim was.
"Obviously I’m very sorry and that, you know, it wasn’t supposed to happen. I didn’t realise he was 74 years old", he said.
Bridgeman added: "Obviously everyone makes mistakes in life. Do you know what I mean? That’s the honest truth from the bottom of my heart. There’s not much I can say."
His mum, who supported him in court, said: "For me, I want the elderly gentleman to get better because my son’s not a rogue.
"It was something that he did, stupidly, at the minute and nobody wants the fella. What's the word? Suffer.
"So for me, all I want is for that man to just get his life back because it shouldn’t have happened."
Pointing to her son, she adds: "He’s well in the wrong and he knows he’s in the wrong, 100%."
Benjamin adds: "Back in court in three weeks so everyone will see me get sentenced then which I know that’s what everybody wants.
"So, you’ll see me do my time which I deserve and yeah man sorry for what I’ve done and that is it."
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The victim's wife said her husband 'believes he could have drowned that day, if it had not have been for the young girls that helped him out'.
A CPS spokesperson added: "She says he has changed since the attack and has become aggressive, depressed and is reluctant to go out."
The two teens will appear back in court to be sentenced next month.
UnderstandingNo4805 on June 10th, 2021 at 17:16 UTC »
"Everyone makes mistakes!" , I said, beside the man I had beaten to the ground with a baseball bat, with his leg broken.
daiwild on June 10th, 2021 at 15:18 UTC »
So to him, the mistake he made is that he misjudged the age—not that he kicked a fucking man into a river
dfreinc on June 10th, 2021 at 15:17 UTC »
title almost made me spit out my coffee laughing but then i read the article and it's not funny at all and props to the two 14 year old girls that formed a human chain and saved the dude.
and of course, those kids filmed the assault and posted it on snapchat, laughing about it on said film...so they should get the book thrown at them.