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Sickening footage shows the moment a surly teenager killed an 82-year-old army veteran with a single punch after he was reprimanded for causing trouble at a Derby bus station.
Omar Moumeche, who was 16 at the time, violently attacked his beloved Dennis Clarke at Derby bus station after he blamed his friends for messing around on an escalator.
The 82-year-old retiree was returning home from a shopping trip when he suffered a fractured skull and a brain hemorrhage.
He sadly died at Queen’s Medical Centre, Nottingham, nine days after the attack on May 6, 2021.
Moumeche, now 18, was convicted of manslaughter in July and was sentenced to two years in juvenile detention at Derby Crown Court today.
Police released shocking footage of the attack showing Mr Clarke surrounded by the group of teenagers he had previously challenged at Eagle Market.
Omar Moumeche, who was 16 at the time, attacked Dennis Clarke at Derby bus station after he scolded his friends for fooling around on an escalator (pictured: CCTV captured the teenagers following Mr Clarke in the bus station)
Moumeche (pictured), now 18, was convicted of manslaughter in July and sentenced to two years in juvenile detention at Derby Crown Court today.
Pensioner Dennis Clarke (pictured), 82, suffered a fractured skull and a brain hemorrhage and died in hospital nine days after the attack on May 6, 2021.
The shocking footage showed the former soldier, who served in Singapore with the Sherwood Foresters regiment, being followed to Derby bus station.
There he was surrounded by teenagers. He was pushed and then violently hit on the ground.
After that, Moumeche fled the bus station but was arrested a few minutes later.
Mr Clarke’s “devastating” death will take many years for his family to come to terms with, his nephew Ricky Darvey told the sentencing hearing in a victim impact statement, the Mirror reports.
He said of his beloved uncle: “His death has left a void in the lives of the whole family and we are left with a feeling of emptiness.
“There will always be an empty chair at Christmas and an empty place on the dance floor.”
He also told how Mr Clarke loved fishing and dancing, was a committed Christian and “adored his family”.
Detective Inspector Mark Shaw said: “Our investigation was aided by the capture of CCTV footage and numerous witness statements, all of which were presented at the trial.
“The defendant claimed he acted in self-defense and the jury, because of the balance and high threshold required, refused to accept his version of events.
The “devastating” death of Mr Clarke (pictured) will take many years for his family to come to terms with, his nephew Ricky Darvey told the sentencing hearing in a victim impact statement.
CCTV captured Mr Clarke (left) being pushed by the teenagers at Derby bus station
“Dennis was a well-known and loved friend and family member.
“Dennis’s” family were present throughout the hearings and acted with absolute dignity throughout the trial and including the guilty verdict and I thank them for that.
“The tragic events of that day have had a devastating effect on both Mr Clarke’s families and the defendant himself.
“Mr Moumeche’s actions at this time will have lasting effects both in the short term while he serves his custodial sentence and after his sentence as he attempts to move forward.
“I hope this case demonstrates how important it is to stop and take a moment to resolve any issues and avoid resorting to the level of violence and consequences seen here.
“I would like to express my thanks to Mr Clarke’s family for the dignity they have shown throughout the criminal proceedings and I hope they can consider moving forward and now focus on their good memories of Dennis.”
Andrew Baxter, of the CPS, said: “The tragic death of Dennis Clarke was the result of this young person’s intimidating and aggressive behavior, refusing to back down and not knowing when to walk away.
The former soldier, who served in Singapore, was then followed to Derby bus station, where he was violently beaten to the ground.
“Mr Clarke was entitled to challenge this behavior and had then gone about his business, assuming the incident was over.”
“Moumeche chose to confront him at the bus station, behaving in an aggressive and intimidating manner towards an octogenarian who posed no threat.
“He then threw a punch which resulted in the death of an elderly, innocent man, as well as a grieving family, a much-loved family member and a respected member of the community. »
“I would like to offer all of Dennis Clarke’s loved ones my deepest sympathy on their loss.”
Judge Shaun Smith KC told Moumeche: “You could have walked away but you decided to get involved and shortly before you struck the blow, an 82-year-old man was surrounded by three young people and you hit him with a deliberate blow.”
No further action was taken against two other teenagers who were arrested at the time in connection with the attack.