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A 59-year-old man has been sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 23 years for the murder of an elderly man outside a north London supermarket. Peter Augustine lost his temper while attempting to seize an 87-year-old John Mackey’s bag near a Co-op store in Manor House on 6 May. Mr Mackey, originally from Ireland but a longtime resident of Finsbury Park, succumbed to his injuries in hospital two days after the attack, during which he was repeatedly kicked, punched, and stamped on.
During the sentencing at the Old Bailey, Mrs Justice Whitehouse condemned Augustine for taking the life of a “gentle, innocent” man “for a box of cornflakes, a pint of milk and a saveloy sausage.” The judge expressed certainty that if Augustine had honestly needed help, Mr Mackey—a kind and generous individual—would have assisted him, stating, “I have no doubt that if this defendant was genuinely starving and had asked Mr Mackey for help, this kind, generous gentleman would have assisted him.” Known in his community for his signature trilby hat, close family ties, and love of Arsenal FC, Mr Mackey had been frail and relied on a walking stick at the time of the incident.
The court heard how Augustine, who was actively seeking victims, spotted Mr Mackey and deliberately crossed a busy road to follow him. After trailing the elderly man for approximately 15 minutes, Augustine chose a secluded spot to launch his attack. Witnesses recounted hearing Augustine demand, “give me the bag,” while violently assaulting the victim. Prosecutor Jane Bickerstaff KC highlighted the unnecessary brutality, pointing out that Augustine could have simply snatched the bag without resorting to violence. She described his actions as “an astonishing level of gratuitous violence… wholly unnecessary and, as witnesses observed, carried out in extreme anger.”
In addition to the murder conviction, Augustine was sentenced to four weeks for theft and eight
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