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Patrick Cronin family’s leaving Melbourne Magistrates’ Court today.
THE family of a teenager killed with a punch in a brawl outside a Melbourne pub slammed today’s decision to downgrade the charge from murder.
Andrew William Lee is accused of fatally striking Patrick Cronin during the wild brawl outside a Diamond Creek pub last year.
During his committal hearing on Monday, prosecutors struck out the murder charge and replaced it with a charge of manslaughter.
Mr Cronin, 19, managed to walk home after the brawl, but was taken to hospital soon afterwards and later died of a brain injury.
Patrick died after being punched outside a Melbourne pub.Source:Supplied
Speaking outside court, Mr Cronin’s father Matt told reporters: “We’re extremely disappointed this has happened.
“Thirteen months ago, Pat went out on a Saturday night. He didn’t choose not to come home. Someone made that choice for him.”
Witnesses told the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Monday he had complained of a migraine after he was hit in the head during the brawl involving 30 people.
Joshua Davis told the court that before the scuffle, a man took offence to someone apparently calling him fat outside the Windy Mile pub on April 16, 2016.
“He was yelling about someone yelling that he was fat,” Mr Davis said. “He directed his yelling at us.
“He just went nuts.”
Mr Davis said as he walked inside the pub, someone told him to get out of his way, before hitting him. “I was a bit shocked and I turned around and there was a fight happening.”
Andrew Lee is accused of fatally striking Patrick Cronin during a wild brawl.Source:News Corp Australia
Mr Davis said he and Mr Cronin later spoke about being hit in the fight and Mr Cronin indicated he was OK. “He wasn’t hurt or anything. He said, ‘yeah, I feel all right’.”
Jesse Matthews told the hearing Mr Cronin had no idea who punched him and seemed shocked by it. “He was holding his head,” said Mr Matthews, adding, “He seemed perfectly fine.”
The court heard Mr Cronin was given pain relief tablets for the migraine and told by a friend to sleep it off.
The teenager was later found vomiting in the toilet and was unsteady on his feet. Mr Matthews said he didn’t see Mr Cronin during the brawl but added: “I can’t see Patrick ever throwing a punch”.
The committal continues.