Schoolboy, 15, who 'beat elderly dog walker to death with slider' boasted his victim 'hit his head off a log' to friends after attack metres from home, court told
A 15-year-old schoolboy accused of beating an elderly dog walker to death was heard boasting to friends that the victim 'hit his head off a log' after attacking him metres from his home, a court has heard.
The teenager is charged with the murder of Bhim Kohli, 80, who died 24 hours after he was allegedly punched and kicked repeatedly in Leicester's Franklin Park last September.
The retired factory owner was also racially abused and struck around the face with a 'slider' while on his knees as part of the 'act of pure violence' - which was filmed on a mobile phone by a laughing 13-year-old female friend of the boy, it is claimed.
He was discovered lying in agony in the park, just yards from his home, by his son and daughter, and was rushed to hospital - but lost his fight for life the following evening.
Leicester Crown Court has heard the boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, wrote a letter after he was charged in which he said he had been dumped by his girlfriend and 'just needed anger releasing'.
His female friend, who also can't be named, is accused of manslaughter after prosecutors said she 'encouraged' the fatal attack.
The pair's trial was this morning shown a series of CCTV recordings taken before and after the assault on Mr Kohli, which took place at around 6.30pm on September 1.
They showed the pensioner walking into the park with his pet dog Rocky, before the boy and girl - 14 and 12 at the time - enter three minutes later with another boy and two girls.
Bhim Kohli, 80, died after he was attacked while walking his dog in a park just metres from his home
Mr Kohli died the following day of his injuries. Bhim Kohli pictured with his wife Satinder
Jurors then viewed three separate short video clips found on the accused girl's phone in which Mr Kohli was first seen being struck around the face by the boy with his slider, then walking and shouting, before a final clip showed him lying still on the ground.
Prosecutor Harpreet Sandhu KC has told the court that in between the last two clips, the boy launched an 'intense' attack that led to Mr Kohli suffering fatal injuries.
Footage of the pair sprinting from the park after the incident was shown, before they join up with their friends again, who had left the park before Mr Kohli was targeted.
As the group walks down a nearby street, the boy can be heard saying, 'He whacked his head off a log', to which the girl replied, 'Oh, I know, I saw that, it goes 'doosh',' - while making a gesture with her own head.
One of the other girls says, 'Oh gosh, it is getting worse. Is there anything else you need to tell us before it gets worse?', before asking the boy: 'Have you got anger issues or summat?'
His answer began with the words, 'I smacked a…' - but the rest of the sentence is unintelligible.
Bhim Kohli's wife lays down a tribute by the park where her husband was assaulted
An aerial view of Franklin Park in Leicester where dog walker Bhim Kohli was attacked
Police at the scene in Franklin Park, Leicester, where dog walker Bhim Kohli, 80, was attacked
The boy and girl were arrested the following day and subsequently charged with murder and manslaughter respectively - which they deny.
A post-mortem examination revealed the cause of Mr Kohli's death to be a neck injury 'causing trauma to the spinal cord', with the OAP also suffering broken ribs, which Mr Sandhu said were consistent with him being punched and kicked repeatedly.
Mr Kohli was married to wife Satinder Kaur, 73, who is listening to evidence from the public gallery, three children, and two grandchildren.
Because of their young age, the two defendants are sitting on benches at the rear of the court instead of in the dock.
The trial continues.
