What police say happened on Honeybourne Way
Two teenage boys have been arrested on suspicion of murder after a man in his 70s died from injuries sustained during a confrontation in Cheltenham earlier this week.
Gloucestershire Police said the elderly victim was punched to the ground during an exchange with two males who, moments earlier, had thrown a large branch from the Millennium Bridge towards a cyclist passing on the road beneath. The cyclist is not thought to have been hurt in that incident.
According to the force, officers were called at around 7.30pm on Wednesday to a report involving three males. A spokesman said: “It was reported that two males had been on the Millennium Bridge and had thrown a large branch at a cyclist who was travelling on the road below. It is not believed the cyclist was injured.”
The pair then came down from the bridge and were challenged by the pensioner on nearby Honeybourne Way. “It is reported an exchange took place between them before one of the males punched the victim in the face, causing him to fall to the ground. The suspects then fled before officers arrived at the location,” the spokesman added.
Why the charges have escalated
The two suspects, aged 16 and 17, were initially detained on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm. Their arrests were upgraded after the victim, who had been in a critical condition at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital, died on Friday from his injuries.
His next of kin have been informed, as has the coroner. The investigation into the circumstances of his death is continuing.
