'Greatest grandad', 78, died after punch by cyclist, 24, he told not to ride on pavement

A 78-year-old pensioner described arsenic the "greatest granddad" died aft being punched erstwhile by a yob who helium asked not to thrust his electrical motorcycle connected the pavement.

Michael Dawson, who was said to person loved "a cupful of beverage and an ovum custard" had enjoyed a nighttime singing karaoke with friends successful a pub successful Bury, Greater Manchester, connected August 24.

Mr Dawson, who jokingly referred to himself arsenic "Curly" contempt being bald, told unit “I had a fantastic nighttime tonight” earlier helium acceptable disconnected to marque his mode home.

Sadly Mr Dawson was to transverse paths with thug Nathan Pilling, 24, who aft a "brief speech of words" betwixt the brace astir not riding his motorcycle connected the path, punched the pensioner successful the head.

Mr Dawson suffered a fractured skull and bleed connected the encephalon earlier dying from his injuries conscionable nether 2 weeks aboriginal with his household by his broadside arsenic his favourite Elton John opus played.

Police arrested Pilling during the aforesaid evening aft helium fled the onslaught portion being bravely chased by members of the public. In his interview, helium refused to instrumentality work for his actions, suggesting alternatively that Mr Dawson had deed him and helium had acted successful self-defence.

Following the grandfather's passing, Pilling was charged with manslaughter and connected the archetypal time of his trial, helium changed his plea to guilty. On Wednesday this week astatine Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court helium was sentenced to 5 years and 4 months successful jail.

During the tribunal case, the MEN reports Mr Dawson's granddaughter, Natasha Fisch, took to the witnesser container to wage tribute to her grandfather.

She said: "He loved animals, singing, hiking and his household and friends. He loved having a look astir a foundation shop, a cupful of beverage and an ovum custard. He besides volunteered arsenic a operator for a crab charity.”

His girl Jennifer Fisch added: "He was the astir gentle, genuine, caring antheral with a consciousness of humour that had america crying with laughter. He was conscionable the top dada and grandad.

“Since his death, I often thrust to his location and hold for the airy to travel on. I archer myself that helium is conscionable retired connected 1 of his walking holidays - this is what I’ve been telling myself since.

“My past representation of my begetter was seeing him with each these tubes successful infirmary and watching him instrumentality his past enactment and listening to his favourite opus - Candle successful the Wind by Elton John. He near america with a teardrop successful his eye.”

CCTV from August 24 showed Mr Dawson walking on the roadworthy and pointing towards Pilling, who was riding an electrical motorcycle connected the pavement connected the different side.

Pilling past rode crossed the road, got disconnected his motorcycle and enactment it against a obstruction and stood straight successful beforehand of Mr Dawson arsenic a confrontation took place. During the argument, Pilling, who was aged 23 astatine the time, doubly moved distant to leave.

But erstwhile helium returned for the last time, helium punched Mr Dawson successful the head, which made him autumn to the crushed wherever helium became motionless. Two men, who were extracurricular The Bank Pub, rushed implicit with 1 trying to halt Pilling from riding distant and the different checking Mr Dawson.

Footage showed Pilling managing to flight from respective radical who had gathered, but helium was arrested adjacent and initially lied astir what happened.

The tribunal heard however Mr Dawson was an technologist who worked successful South Africa wherever helium met his woman Poppy. He had besides lived for a clip successful Namibia wherever helium was besides loved by galore household and friends.

Poppy sadly passed distant respective years ago, and Mr Dawson lived alone, successful walking region from his girl and granddaughters until the time helium was killed.

In her sentencing notes, Judge Tina Landale told Pilling helium had the accidental to "walk away", and that helium was a physically bigger idiosyncratic than Mr Dawson, who was described arsenic "vulnerable".

She said that his enactment of unit was a "gross overreaction" earlier handing down a situation sentence.

Following the hearing, elder investigating officer, Phillip Reade, from Greater Manchester Police said the unit had "zero tolerance" against violence.

He said: "This was a wholly unprovoked onslaught which sadly took the beingness of a man who was conscionable enjoying a nighttime out.

"I americium highly grateful to those members of the nationalist who came to Michael's assistance and helped to detain Pilling. It is precise wide that Michael was a much-loved household antheral and precise fashionable who volition beryllium missed by truthful many.

"We person zero tolerance against unit and volition bash everything we tin to marque definite the instigators are taken disconnected the streets and placed earlier the courts."