THE man accused of killing a pensioner who died in hospital the day after an incident in a Coventry snooker club has been granted bail.
And the judge at Warwick Crown Court has given the prosecution 14 days to consider whether defendant Carl Pinder should be facing a charge of manslaughter rather than murder.
Pinder, 37, of Foster Road, Radford, Coventry, appeared at the court accused of the murder of 68-year-old Patrick Redmond.
The charge follows an incident at Rileys snooker hall in Hertford Place on February 27, after which Mr Redmond was rushed to hospital where he died the following day.
Prosecutor Peter Grieves-Smith said it was alleged Pinder had landed a single blow to Mr Redmond, causing him to fall and suffer an injury to his head.
Judge Richard Griffith-Jones asked why it had been charged as murder, rather than manslaughter.
Mr Grieves-Smith said a decision had been taken by the Crown Prosecution Service that murder was the appropriate charge.
But he added he and defence barrister Howard Godfrey QC had agreed, subject to the judge’s approval, that Pinder should not be arraigned.
Judge Griffith-Jones said: “The prosecution should decide within 14 days what the appropriate charge is going to be.”
He told the barristers two possible trial dates had been identified – August 29 if Pinder remained in custody, or November 20 if he did not.
During a discussion about proposed bail conditions, the judge pointed out that one condition in murder cases has to be that a defendant is seen by two ‘medical practitioners.’
Mr Godfrey indicated that Pinder – a former sub-mariner – had been living at an address in Canley with his partner, but could live at his parents’ home in Foster Road, and his mother was willing to stand as a surety.
After asking Pinder’s mother if she was willing to stand as a surety, warning her that she would lose the amount if he failed to surrender, Judge Griffith-Jones granted him bail.
The judge said: “In the circumstances of this case, having regard to the absence of previous convictions, and however grave the consequence of the allegation, I am prepared to grant bail – but it will be subject to the most vigorous conditions.”
The bail conditions include that Pinder surrenders his passport, lives at his parents’ address in Foster Road, abides by an electronically-tagged curfew from 6pm to 6am, and his mother standing surety in the sum of £5,000.
He was also ordered to have no direct or indirect contact with any witness who is not a police officer, not to go to Riley’s Sports Bar, and to undergo medical examination by two named psychiatrists by May 15.
But the judge added that if the charge Pinder faces changes, his solicitors can apply for that last condition to be varied.
