Gosford one-punch killer Zaine Robinson facing sentencing
A man who fatally punched a stroke victim at Gosford after buying alcohol will be sentenced following a guilty plea.
Central Coast
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It was a single punch which ended the sad, lonely life of an alcoholic stroke victim and stands to ruin the best years of a promising young man.
Zaine Robinson appeared at a sentencing hearing at Gosford District Court via video link on Friday having pleaded guilty to a single charge of assault causing death.
A set of agreed facts tendered to court state the then 20-year-old had entered the Beer Wine Spirits (BWS) adjacent to Woolworths at the Imperial Centre in Gosford shortly before closing time on November 6, 2018.
A 57-year-old man Lee Ingley was also in the store trying to pay for a bottle of alcohol but was struggling to get out his credit card.
The facts state Mr Ingley had lived alone in a unit on Sinclair St, Gosford, and suffered a stroke in 2006, which slurred his speech and made him unsteady on his feet.
He was also an alcoholic.
Robinson said to the man “look at you, you pissed c..., you’re a weak c..., you can’t handle your alcohol”.
Mr Ingley replied “are you calling me a weak c..., you don’t even know me”.
They left the store and as they walked onto Erina St, Mr Ingley brushed past Robinson who turned and pushed him with an open hand.
Mr Ingley swung his walking stick at Robinson and hit him in the stomach and swung it again.
Robinson swung a punch that collected with Mr Ingley’s head and the older man collapsed to the ground “unconscious and bleeding” the facts read.
Two witnesses driving down Erina St at the time saw the whole thing and heard some of the words the pair had exchanged.
Anrudh Prasad stopped the car and he and his passenger Cameron Vey ran over and held onto Robinson.
“Mate you’re going to sit here until police arrive, we saw you hit that old guy,” Mr Prasad said.
Robinson replied “Nah, he was gunna hit me”.
Mr Vey returned to the car to get his phone and Robinson broke free of Mr Prasad but he was able to stop him from leaving again with Mr Vey’s help and they waited about 20m from where Mr Ingley lay on the footpath motionless.
Mr Ingley was taken to hospital in a critical condition but died two days later.
Robinson, of Metford, was arrested at the scene and told police he had a few drinks that day.
The matter was adjourned till next week.