Family members of an elderly man who died after being punched by a stranger in an unprovoked attack as he walked through the city have told an Adelaide court of their anger and heartache.
Key points:
- Francesco Candido was punched in the head by a stranger as he walked along Grote Street in September last year
- Two weeks later, the 89-year-old died in hospital
- A court is preparing to sentence his attacker, Joel Raymond Page, for manslaughter
Francesco Candido, 89, was walking along Grote Street in September 2021, when Joel Raymond Page punched him in the head.
Mr Candido fell to the ground and hit his head and died two weeks later in hospital.
Page — who pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the month after the attack — previously told the court he was so intoxicated, he could not remember what happened.
Speaking outside of court today, Mr Candido’s son, Larry, said his family was still struggling with their loss.
“It’s a lonely feeling — even though we’re together sometimes,” he said.
In a victim impact statement read to the court, Mr Candido’s wife, Giuseppa, said her desire to go on had diminished.
“Looking at him suffer in the hospital made me very upset that a man [who] never hurt anyone had to die this way,” Ms Candido said.
“I always feel so lonely and sad.”
Verilee Evans — who came across Page in the street and tried to calm him down before the attack — spoke about the trauma…
