(June 30) - When a knife-wielding man broke into his home in England last August, Frank Corti was scared. But that didn’t stop the 72-year-old retired boxer from beating up the intruder and holding him till police came.
In his police mug shot, 23-year-old Gregory McCalium sports a black eye and a bloodied lip, courtesy of a man old enough to be his grandfather.
McCalium was sentenced Tuesday to 4 ½ years in prison for the attack last Aug. 19 on the Corti home near Oxford, England, the Oxford Mail
reported.
The judge told him he "got what you deserved."
McCalium was a neighbor of Corti and his wife, Margaret, in the town of Botley and there had been an ongoing dispute over noise levels in the area, police said.
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Super Seniors
Takeshi Murata, 84, of Greeley, Colo. holds a photo of himself from 1945 during his military service in World War II. He was drafted out of high school 65 years ago and was never able to finish before now.
Mike Peters, The Greeley Tribune / AP
Mike Peters, The Greeley Tribune / AP
According to court testimony, McCalium was armed with a knife when he forced his way into the Cortis' home in the morning. The young bartender, who was apparently drunk, lunged at Frank Corti with the weapon.
Corti said he dodged the blade, grabbed the young man by the wrists and and then landed two good punches in the intruder’s face.
"I was scared when he first threw the knife, but most people would have acted in the same way," Corti told the newspaper. "If you can’t defend what's yours, where are we at?"
McCalium fell on the floor and Corti sat on him until police came.
At his trial in March, McCalium said he could not remember the incident.
His defense lawyer, John Simmons, argued that Corti received only minor injuries in the confrontation while "photographs of the defendant showed what looked like a car accident."
But the judge didn't feel sorry for him.
"Luckily, Mr. Conti was an able-bodied 72-year-old who was able to defend himself," Recorder Angela Morris said. "The jury might well have concluded you got what you deserved when you entered that property and took a swipe at him with that weapon."
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Stories That Made Us Smile
Japan's railway company Keihin Express Railway Co. employee Mitue Endo, 26, stares at the smile meter to measure her smile at Tokyo's Shinagawa Station on July 23. The electronic system comprised of a computer and a digital camera is being used on a trial basis to improve customer service.
Junji Kurokawa, AP
Junji Kurokawa, AP
