Premeditated Excuses

An 87-year-old great-grandmother who died after being punched to the floor by a stranger at a train station in Birmingham had been trying to break up an argument at a Pret a Manger, MailOnline can reveal.

Dorothy Chiles suffered a broken hip and other injuries in the vicious assault at Birmingham New Street and passed away six weeks later.

The incident isn't recent, either... 

The horrifying incident actually happened on November 19 last year but only came to public attention after British Transport Police revealed earlier this week that Dorothy had died as a result of what they called an 'act of senseless violence'.

It happened after a row began when two strangers bumped into each other - and one made a racist remark, with Dorothy's only involvement as a would -be peacemaker. And one eyewitness to the attack said: 'The old lady was trying to calm her down but the woman just violently punched her. She was killed for her kindness.'

The 'Mail' has tracked down an eyewitness. 

A man who watched the entire episode unfold revealed: 'The older lady had approached the much younger white woman who was shouting and screaming at staff and customers in Pret. 'The woman was clearly very agitated and getting worse.

'She was shouting things about how she was autistic and saying that people were picking on her.

'As the older lady got closer to try and console her, the younger woman without warning spun around and knocked her backwards onto the floor.

'It was kind of a punch with a closed fist and it pushed her over.

'The older woman was left sprawled on the floor and train station staff and other commuters rushed to help her before she was treated by paramedics and taken to hospital in an ambulance.'

Another eyewitness gives an identical statement: 

'Other people started having a go at her about using racist language.

'This seemed to wind her up even more.

'She was shouting loudly and saying 'Why are you having a go at me? Why are you picking on me? I have autism'.

'As she got more and more angry and upset, that's when the older lady who was standing nearby came over I think intending to console her or calm her - but instead she was attacked for her kindness.'

It seems the brandishing of a diagnosis is now used to excuse the following actions. Because it works. 

Police say a woman in her 20s was initially arrested on suspicion of GBH but later held on suspicion of manslaughter and released on conditional bail pending further inquiries.

Who'd bet against her ever seeing the inside of a court?