A pensioner who was punched in County Antrim over the weekend has a 1% chance of surviving, a court has heard.

The 74-year-old man was struck in the head and knocked unconscious in Antrim town on Saturday night.

A police officer told Coleraine Magistrates’ Court on Monday that the man is in intensive care with “potentially life-ending or life-changing” injuries.

Marcus Fleming, 21, from Cedarmount in Antrim, appeared in court charged with grievous bodily harm.

The police constable said he could connect the defendant to the case.

He told the court a witness saw Mr Fleming and a woman pushing one another and cursing on Station Road shortly after 19:30 GMT.

The witness told police that Mr Fleming asked her for a cigarette and swore in her face before the pensioner who was out walking intervened.

The court heard the man was punched once in the face before he fell to the ground.

After being arrested, the police officer said the defendant admitted to police that he hit the pensioner, but claimed he was hit first.

A defence lawyer described it as “a very sad case” where the defendant has been “extremely remorseful.”

He said his client “fully accepted his involvement from the get go” and that this was “a one punch case, not a sustained attack.”

His lawyer said “there was no pre-meditation” but that there was a confrontation where he fully accepted his part.

Mr Fleming is also charged with two counts of criminal damage and one count of attempted criminal damage.

The police officer told the court the defendant was irate while travelling in police vehicles and that he spat and urinated in the cell in the police van.

An application for bail was refused and he is due to appear in court at a later date.