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Bus death dad's killer confesses
STAN Dixon was an old fashioned gentleman.
So when yobs on a bus started to swear in front of his fiance he immediately confronted them to ask them to stop.
Moments later, he was lying on the pavement with massive head injuries after being attacked for standing up to the thugs.
He never regained consciousness and tragically died days later after his distraught fiance, Anne Fisher, made the heartbreaking decision to turn off his life support machine.
He was like a brother to me >>
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Yesterday Gary Robson, 23, admitted killing the devoted dad.
Today his fiance said: "He was just standing up for what he believed and it cost him his life."
Former mechanic Stan, 60, had enjoyed a night out in Hartlepool with Anne, and the pair were on their way home to Horden on the Arriva 243 service on Saturday, June 28, unaware that their night was soon to turn to tragedy.
Stan got into a row with a group on the bus who were using swear words, and asked them to stop.
The row prompted them to get off the bus at an earlier stop – but just as they stepped off the bus Stan was pushed from behind and ended up lying unconscious on the pavement.
He was rushed by ambulance to hospital but died four days later, on July 2, in Newcastle General Hospital.
At Newcastle Crown Court yesterday, Robson admitted Mr Dixon's manslaughter.
The 23-year-old had originally been charged with murder but that was dropped at yesterday's hearing.
A charge of common assault on Ms Fisher was also dropped.
Robson, who stands over six feet tall and weighs around 18 stone, spoke only to confirm his name during the hearing.
But his barrister Richard Bloomfield told the court: "It was not the defendant's intention to cause any injury at all."
Robson, of Galloway Road, Peterlee, will be sentenced at a later date and was remanded in custody in the meantime.
Judge David Hodson warned him: "All sentencing options will be open to me when I deal with you, that of course includes custody."
Anne, 41, was visibly upset at the court hearing, and wept openly when the murder charge was dropped.
In a statement she said: "We were due to get married next September. Me and my daughter's lives have been ruined.
"I just don't know how I will move on from here."
Speaking to the Mail, Anne, of Peterlee, added: "The heartache never stops but at least we can get some relief from the fact he has pleaded guilty, even though he did not admit attacking me.
"I miss him so much. He was just standing up for what he believed and it cost him his life."
Anne, who had shared Stan's life for six years prior to his death, previously said he was "like a father" to her 12-year-old daughter Lauren.
Well-liked, Stan was born in Horden and lived in the village all his life.
The father of three, of Eden Vale Estate, had been a motor mechanic and served time in Hartlepool, working for Nissan and the National Coal Board, moving on to the Nightfreight company before retiring through ill heath.
Although he was active, he used a stick to get around and enjoyed drinking in the Five Quarter in Peterlee.
Stan, who has a brother called Ken, split from his first wife Elsie, 56, eight years ago.
They have three grown up children - Paul, 34, June, 31, and 25-year-old Louise.
John Fozzard, marketing manager for Arriva North East said: "When any incident takes place on our vehicles we use all our resources to assist the police in responding appropriately to the matter.
"The safety of all our passengers is our number one priority and we hope that this case would deter any future unprovoked attacks on our passengers or staff. Our thoughts and condolences are very much with the family at this time."
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Sunday 27 May 2012
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