Patrick Cronin's parents Robyn and Matt speaks to the media on Monday. Credit:Penny Stephens "Someone else made made the choice for him not to come home. "He [Mr Lee] should be facing the full extent of the law and that's not happening." Matt Cronin added that the delay in the proceedings are a travesty. "The fact that we've had to wait 13 months ... that's not justice. We don't even know when we'll get a trial date. It could be next year, how could that be justice in anyone's language?"

Patrick Cronin died in April last year. "The legal system here needs a good look at itself. Victims need to start to get looked after. We're sick of the accused having all the rights and us having no rights." Mr Cronin died due to bleeding on the brain two days after a blow to the head outside the Windy Mile pub in Diamond Creek in April last year. Andrew William Lee outside court on Monday. Credit:Courtesy Channel Seven He and team mates in the Lower Plenty Bears had been celebrating after Mr Cronin's first senior game for the club.

Prosecutors will argue that Mr Cronin acted as a peacemaker during a brawl and was attacked from behind. Daniel Coffield, Dan Ryan, Lewis Neat and Patrick Turnbull wear T-shirts with the PC12 logo standing for Patrick Cronin's initials and football jersey number. Credit:Bhakthi Puvanenthiran The murder charge was dropped at the Magistrates Court on Monday morning, the beginning of a five-day committal hearing. A large group of family and friends crammed into the courtroom forcing Magistrate Johanna Metcalf to ask some members of the public to stand outside. Friends and family wore badges saying PC12 - Patrick Cronin's number when he played for the Lower Plenty Bears. Credit:Darrian Traynor

Witness Josh Davis, told the court that the brawl outside the Windy Mile began about 11pm after a verbal altercation ended with him telling a man in a white T-tshirt to "f--- off". "He hit me, I stumbled to the side ... I turned around and there was a fight happening." Patrick Cronin died after a brawl at the Windy Mile hotel in Diamond Creek. Credit:Joe Armao A second witness, Jessie Mathews, recounted seeing Mr Cronin moments after he was allegedly hit. "He said 'I've just been punched in the head'.

"The way he said it he was almost surprised. He was shocked. "He told me he copped it on the way out of the fight. Patrick had nothing to do with this fight." When questioned by defence, Mr Mathews said he knew Mr Cronin well and that it was not in Mr Cronin's nature to initiate a fight. Anthony Hopkins, a friend of Mr Cronin, testified that the teenager was suffering a headache after a large scuffle outside the pub. Mr Hopkins said that the event has stayed with him. "It's played out in my mind every day since."