Woman given suspended jail term for fatal bank push

A bank customer who fatally pushed an 82-year-old woman with Alzheimer’s disease to the ground in a queue row has been given a suspended jail sentence.

Courtney Richman, 26, pushed Myra Coutinho-Lopez, 82, to the floor of Lloyds Bank in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, in December 2021 after growing impatient in the queue behind the pensioner.

At Luton Crown Court, Richman was sentenced to 16 months imprisonment for manslaughter, suspended for 21 months.

Passing sentence, Judge Michael Simon was critical of Lloyds staff for failing to diffuse the situation and called on banks to ensure all staff have dementia awareness training.

The court heard Mrs Coutinho-Lopez had forgotten she had withdrawn money three days earlier and caused a long queue to develop as she had an argument with a cashier.

On the day in question, Richman, who was in the queue, was heard to say: “Hurry up – people don’t have all day.”

An argument then took place and in CCTV shown to the jury Mrs Coutinho-Lopez swung her handbag at Richman and the young woman then pushed her.

Mrs Coutinho-Lopez died on 16 December 2021, 10 days after the incident.

Richman denied manslaughter but was found guilty at Luton Crown Court in February.

Following the hearing, Mrs Coutinho-Lopez’s daughter Michelle Lopez said that she and her family had been left “trapped in an emotional prison”.

“It was a consequence of Courtney Richman’s heinous and vicious behaviour,” she added.

Ms Lopez criticised the “apathy and absence of empathy” from Lloyds Bank staff.

She also said that Richman had “revelled in her freedom” since that day.

Judge Michael Simon said Mrs Coutinho-Lopez was a well-known customer and the bank were aware that she suffered from Alzheimer’s disease.

He said “a lack of understanding” from bank staff meant the confrontation between Mrs Coutinho-Lopez and the bank teller showed no sign of resolution after 20 to 30 minutes and the situation was allowed to escalate.

The judge added: “The court calls on the banking sector as a whole to ensure that all customer-facing staff are provided with dementia awareness training, which includes recognised strategies for interacting with customers who experience such difficulties and for defusing conflict.

“It is not possible to be sure that if this had been in place in December 2021 that the events leading to the death of Mrs Coutinho-Lopez would not have happened, but on the evidence before this court it is highly likely that the incident would not have ended in tragedy as it did.”

Richman was also given a rehabilitation requirement lasting between 15 and 25 days and was ordered to complete 180 hours of unpaid work.

In mitigation, Claire Davies KC said Richman had had lost custody of her two children as a result of her conviction.

Det Supt Rob Hall, head of the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit, said: “This has been a harrowing ordeal for Myra’s family and our thoughts remain with them at what continues to be a difficult time.”