A man has been charged following the attack of disabled pensioner Alan Barnes,
which sparked an outpouring of generosity from members of the public who
raised in excess of £300,000.
Richard Gatiss, 25, of Gateshead, was arrested in the early hours of today and
has been charged with assault with intent to rob.
He will appear at Gateshead Magistrates’ Court tomorrow.
Mr Barnes, 67, suffered a broken collarbone in the incident, which happened
around 6.30pm on Sunday January 25, just outside his home on Hillside Place
in Gateshead.
Following the assault, 21-year-old Katie Cutler, touched by his plight, set up
a fund-raising appeal which generated £330,135 for Mr Barnes.
The pair have since become firm friends.
Gateshead Area Commander Chief Superintendent Andy McDyer said: “I’d like
to reassure people that since this happened we’ve been relentless in our
investigation and in following up lines of enquiry.
“In the early hours of Monday officers made an arrest in connection with
the investigation and this man has now been charged and is progressing
through the court process.”
Mr Barnes weighs just six stone and stands at 4ft 6in after being born with
sight and growth problems.