Bank customer ‘killed woman with Alzheimer’s after catastrophic loss of temper while queuing’
Courtney Richman, 26, is on trial for the manslaughter of Myra Countinho-Lopez, a pensioner with Alzheimer's who died after being pushed to the floor of a Lloyds Bank branch
A Lloyds bank customer is accused of killing an elderly woman with Alzheimer’s by pushing her to the floor in a ‘catastrophic loss of temper’.
Courtney Richman, 26, is currently on trial for manslaughter at Luton Crown Court following the death of Myra Countinho-Lopez on December 16 2021.
The 82-year-old died in hospital 10 days after an incident at Lloyds Bank in Howardsgate, Hertfordshire.
Mrs Coutinho-Lopez was a regular at the branch and often forgot she had already withdrawn money.
That was the case on December 6, 2021 when she visited the bank at 2pm and became confused after forgetting she had withdrawn money the previous Friday.
Prosecutor Martin Mulgrew said: ‘Mrs Coutinho-Lopez became worried and asked the cashier to show her the balance. She was told she had withdrawn money the previous Friday. She became more confused and said she hadn’t.’
Another staff member tried to reassure the elderly woman who insisted on speaking to a manager.
With only one cashier on duty, a queue started to form.
Richman, from Welwyn Garden City is alleged to have told the pensioner to ‘move out the way’, saying: ‘There is nothing they can do’.
She is accused of becoming increasingly angry with the pensioner, accusing Mrs Coutinho-Lopez of wasting people’s time. Richman then allegedly pulled down her Covid mask and said: ‘Hurry up – people don’t have all day.’
Another customer offered to help the 82-year-old as she left the branch. Richman sarcastically applauded and said ‘oh thank God’, the court heard.
The 82-year-old then told Richman ‘don’t speak to me like that – you are very rude’ before swinging her handbag and striking the defendant as she passed.
At this point a ‘red mist descended’ on Richman, prosecutor Mr Mulgrew told the jury.
Mr Mulgrew said: ‘The defendant reacted in a wholly inappropriate and unreasonably violent manner.
‘She angrily pushed Mrs Coutinho-Lopez forcefully to the floor of the bank. She struck the floor with some force.’
Mrs Coutinho-Lopez suffered fractures to her left upper arm and thigh bone, along with bruising to her left upper arm, wriest, the tops of her fingers, around her rib cage and her flank.
The prosecutor said: ‘If you push an 82 year old woman to the floor of bank there is going to be some risk.’
He continued: ‘The prosecution say she unlawfully assaulted her and as a result of the fractures fatty substances were released in her body that caused damage to her lungs and brain.’
Richman left the bank after the incident, but she was later found by police.
The defendant said the 82-year-old had been ‘rude and abusive’.
In a prepared statement, Richman claimed the victim told her ‘I bet your boyfriend has left you’ before the victim hit her with her handbag.
Richman said: ‘I was shocked and instinctively pushed her away. I feared she was assault me. I used open palms.’
Richman denies manslaughter and an alternative, lesser charge of inflicting grievous bodily harm.