An online fundraiser has been organized for a senior citizen who was seriously injured by a man and woman who beat him with a pool cue.

The News reported how neighbours were outraged after John Newell, 70, was left with serious injuries after the assault on Dec. 11. He had wounds in his skull that required 51 staples to close, bones in his fingers and hands were crushed, he sustained a concussion, and his entire body was battered and bruised. The pair stole his wallet and left the scene.

The resident and caretaker at Maple Court, an apartment complex at the corner of 224th Street and 121 Avenue, was on his way to the neighbouring Seniors Activity Centre to play snooker when he encountered the pair loitering around the apartment building, and there was an altercation, and then an assault.

A fundraiser was organized by Richard Beech, who said Newell's hands will require several surgeries to repair followed by months of physiotherapy.

"Drug use in the building’s basement stairwell has become a major issue with fentanyl addicts gathering there to do drugs. They urinate in the hallway, leave litter, and intimidate residents," wrote Beech. 

He said Newell "happened upon two addicts smoking fentanyl and tearing off tags from stolen merchandise in the stairwell to the underground parking lot. He confronted the two informing them they had to leave. At this point the violent attack began."

He described the incident in detail:

"His snooker cue stick was snatched from his hands and used to bash him over the head with by the violent thugs. They knocked him to the ground, stole his wallet, and continued beating him. He managed to wrestle his way up the stairs and exited out of the building as he pleaded for them to stop. They ignored his pleas while shouting death threats. Once outside John tried to run away but they caught up to him, continued beating him with the pool cue, and shouted that they were going to kill him. They said they know where he lives and what he looks like and they will come back to get him as John was still attempting to flee. Finally they broke off the attack for a moment."

"Battered and bleeding John had the wherewithal to take out his cell phone and attempt to video the attackers who had crossed the street. Unfortunately, they saw this chased him down, knocked him to the ground, stole his phone, and continued stomping and bashing his head and back. At this point a crowd of neighbours had gathered, the police arrived, and the attackers tried to escape. They were arrested a block away."

Both suspects have been charged with assault with a weapon, aggravated assault, and robbery. They have appeared in Port Coquitlam Provincial court. 

The man has a criminal history that includes an assault conviction from 2017, a conviction for theft from 2018, and charges of breach of probation and threatening from last year.

The woman was found guilty of theft in 2018 and 2015, obstructing or resisting an officer in 2015, trafficking in 2017, and was charged with assault and mischief last year.

She was born in 1986, and he in 1988, according to court records.

The online fundraiser for Newell has so fair raised almost $3,000.

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