WEST LONDON – Shocking video footage showed the moment a pensioner had his trousers pulled down before being fatally pushed to the ground.
Jerald Netto, 62, died in hospital from a cardiac arrest after he was attacked outside the doorway of a west London cafe.
How he Attacked the man
A 17-year-old boy, who cannot be named, has been locked up for just 12 months after being convicted of manslaughter.
CCTV footage released by Metropolitan Police showed Mr Netto walking towards a group of teenagers after sitting outside a pub in Ealing at 12.43am on March 15 2023.
He was then seen being tussled to the ground after he fell victim to a prank when one of the boys pulled his trousers, before appearing to walk off.
He Stepped Over Him
But after getting himself on his feet and while leaning on the doorway of the cafe, Mr Netto was hurled forward by the teenager, who had crept up behind him, and fell face first onto the pavement.
The teenager was then seen stepping over the pensioner, and walking off along Boston Road.
Cause of Death
Mr Netto was then found motionless by members of the public. Despite being rushed to hospital, he was later pronounced dead as a result of a hypoxic brain injury due to a prolonged cardiac arrest.
The horrifying footage was made public by police at the request of Mr Netto’s family.
Victim Impact Statement
In a statement, his relatives said he was humiliated and attacked by a ‘sadistic criminal’.
‘Jerald Netto was a loving son, husband, father, grandfather, uncle, cousin, friend and neighbour.
‘We are left scarred for life. We will never come to terms with what happened to him on that terrible night. In his last moments he was humiliated, taken advantage of, attacked and killed by a sadistic criminal.
‘Our lives will never be the same, we miss him every day and will continue to as each day passes without him in our world.’
He was Arrested and Charged
The 16-year-old teenager, who is now 17, was arrested near to the scene and charged within 24 hours.
On Friday, he was sentenced to 12 months in custody, and a further 12 months supervision in the community, as part of a 24 month detention and training order, at the Old Bailey. The maximum sentence for manslaughter is life imprisonment.
Official Report
Detective Chief Inspector Brian Howie, who led the investigation, said: ‘Our investigation showed that this tragic event began with a juvenile prank by the defendant and culminated with a deliberate assault which resulted in the death of Mr Netto.
“There is no excuse for this type of violence, the defendant was not acting in lawful self-defence and our enquiries soon established that his actions that evening were deliberate and disgraceful.
‘My thoughts remain with Mr Netto’s family as they continue to come to terms with his death in such appalling circumstances. I know that this has been an incredibly difficult time for them and I hope that now legal proceedings have concluded, they can begin to find some peace.’
