Croydon: Pensioner jailed after stabbing rival pool player

Patrick Dynan said "my life's over" as he was arrested by police

A 71-year-old man has been jailed following a "persistent" knife attack on a fellow pool player after arguing whether the playing surface was level.

Patrick Dynan, of Wellington Road, Croydon, was charged with grievous bodily harm (GBH) with intent, after stabbing Terry Santry, 40, four times.

Dynan was also charged with the possession of an offensive weapon in relation to the stabbing in April 2022.

At the Old Bailey, he was jailed for 40 months.

As he was sentenced, the victim, Mr Santry, shouted: "You're a lucky boy. I'll see you soon."

On 14 April 2022, Dynan and Mr Santry were drinking and playing pool at the Broad Green Tavern, in West Croydon, before getting into an argument over whether the table was uneven.

Prosecutor Jonathan Loades told the court that shortly afterwards, Dynan entered a nearby chicken shop where Mr Santry was ordering food.

He then proceeded to stab Mr Santry from behind with a flick knife.

The men were playing pool at the Broad Green Tavern in West Croydon

Judge Neil Flewitt KC said the stabbing was a "planned attack" and that, after the event, Dynan had shown no remorse for his actions.

He added that the ordeal was witnessed by the shop worker, another customer, and several members of the public.

In his victim statement, Mr Santry described spending eight nights in hospital and that he had been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following the 40-second attack.

'Absolute joke'

Appearing via video-link from Belmarsh Prison, Dynan remained motionless as the sentence was handed to him.

While deliberating the severity of the case, Judge Flewitt KC noted how Mr Santry may have been "potentially let down" by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) over a failure to provide key evidence.

Judge Flewitt KC requested a written explanation from the CPS as to why they did not provide evidence that the attack was potentially responsible for Mr Santry's ongoing health issues.

As Dynan was sentenced, Mr Santry called it "an absolute joke".

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