Ex-Sunderland AFC and Hartlepool United player Paul Conlon to await court fate over killing of his father

Ex-Sunderland and Hartlepool United player Paul Robert Conlon was charged with the murder of Harry Conlon, 77, after he died more than three weeks after a disturbance at the family home in Deansfield Close, Doxford Park, Sunderland, which left the pensioner with head injuries.

A trial was due to start at Newcastle Crown Court yesterday, Monday, May 24, but the alternative charge of manslaughter was admitted by the 43-year-old and accepted by the court.

The Honourable Mrs Justice Lambert returned today, having been given a witness impact statement and details by prosecutor John Elvidge QC and defence barrister Darpinder Singh QC, to help her determine the jail term Conlon, of no fixed abode, will serve.

That led her to decide further reports are now needed to consider his dangerousness, with the court told Conlon’s offending was linked with alcohol abuse, with the case adjourned until Thursday, July 15.

The judge told Conlon: “I ask the Probation Service to prepare a report about you and hope you will provide them with a full conversation in order that I can understand something about your background and circumstances that will help me going forward.

"You should be under no illusion, this is going to be a sentence of a substantial custodial sentence, whatever that information is, I hope you understand that.”

The hearing was told during the incident, Conlon pushed both his parents to the floor and repeatedly punched his father, tried to throttle him and kicked him while wearing shoes.

Mr Conlon escaped to a neighbour’s home, while the ambulance crew reported he suffered injuries including bruising, cuts to his face and a cut to his ear lobe.

The victim’s wife and defendant’s mother was in court for today’s hearing.

The judge told her: “Mrs Conlon, I’m sorry you had to come to court, no doubt it is very stressful for you,” going on to note the hearing had been set to be the close of proceedings.

Conlon jr, who joined Sunderland AFC in 1996 after playing for Hartlepool United’s first team as a teenager, was arrested at scene on the afternoon of Christmas Eve last year.

He was later charged with murder after his dad, who died in hospital on Monday, January 18.

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