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Bhim Kohli death: Man, 80, 'racially taunted' before fatal park attack Bhim Kohli death: Man, 80, 'racially taunted' before fatal park attack
(32 minutes later)
A post-mortem examination found Bhim Kohli died of a neck injuryA post-mortem examination found Bhim Kohli died of a neck injury
A 15-year-old boy and 13-year-old girl killed an 80-year-old man after using racist taunts against him while he was walking his dog, a court has heard. A 15-year-old boy kicked and punched an 80-year-old man to death in a park to "let his anger out" before falsely claiming he had threatened a girl with a knife, a court has heard.
Leicester Crown Court was told Bhim Kohli was attacked yards from his home in Franklin Park, Braunstone Town, Leicestershire, on 1 September last year and died in hospital from his injuries a day later. Leicester Crown Court was told the boy racially abused Bhim Kohli and slapped him in the face with a shoe while he was on his knees during the "intense attack", while a 13-year-old girl encouraged the violence and filmed it on her phone while laughing.
Mr Kohli died in hospital a day after the attack, which occurred yards from his home, in Franklin Park, Braunstone Town, Leicestershire, on 1 September last year.
The boy denies murder and manslaughter, while the girl denies manslaughter.The boy denies murder and manslaughter, while the girl denies manslaughter.
Opening its case on Tuesday, the prosecution told jurors the balaclava-clad boy had carried out the assault with the slider shoe he had been wearing, while the girl filmed it and laughed.
The pair, who were 14 and 12 at the time, cannot be named due to their ages.The pair, who were 14 and 12 at the time, cannot be named due to their ages.
Tributes were left in Mr Kohli's memoryTributes were left in Mr Kohli's memory
Prosecutor Harpreet Sandhu KC said: "On September 1 last year, 2024, an 80-year-old man called Bhim Kohli did what he did each day.Prosecutor Harpreet Sandhu KC said: "On September 1 last year, 2024, an 80-year-old man called Bhim Kohli did what he did each day.
"He left his home on Bramble Way in Leicester. Having left his home, he walked a few yards to the entrance of Franklin Park, where he was going to take his dog for a walk."He left his home on Bramble Way in Leicester. Having left his home, he walked a few yards to the entrance of Franklin Park, where he was going to take his dog for a walk.
"On September 1, however, Mr Kohli would not get the opportunity to walk his dog for long and never would he return home. That is because in Franklin Park, Mr Kohli had the misfortune to encounter these two defendants. "On September 1, however, Mr Kohli would not get the opportunity to walk his dog for long and never would he return home. That is because in Franklin Park, Mr Kohli had the misfortune to encounter these two defendants."
"[The boy and girl] used racist taunts against Mr Kohli, [the boy] used violence against Mr Kohli, [the girl] encouraged [the boy] to use violence against Mr Kohli. The court was told Mr Kohli sustained fractured ribs and a spinal cord injury in the attack.
"The prosecution say that as a result of causing those injuries, [the boy] is guilty of murdering Bhim Kohli and that [the girl] who encouraged the causing of those injuries is guilty of manslaughter." Mr Sandhu said: "The prosecution say that as a result of causing those injuries, [the boy] is guilty of murdering Bhim Kohli and that [the girl] who encouraged the causing of those injuries is guilty of manslaughter."
'On his knees'
Mr Sandhu told the court the boy and girl had spent that afternoon together at Braunstone Park, before going to the boy's home where he changed his clothes and wore black sliders - a loose-fitting type of shoe similar in appearance to flip-flops - which the barrister said were used in the attack.Mr Sandhu told the court the boy and girl had spent that afternoon together at Braunstone Park, before going to the boy's home where he changed his clothes and wore black sliders - a loose-fitting type of shoe similar in appearance to flip-flops - which the barrister said were used in the attack.
He said CCTV footage showed Mr Kohli walked to Franklin Park at about 18:18 BST followed by the two defendants and three other children a few minutes later. He said CCTV footage showed Mr Kohli walked with his dog Rocky to Franklin Park at about 18:18 BST, followed by the two defendants and three other children a few minutes later.
'My anger turned in'
The 15-year-old boy could be seen carrying a balaclava, the prosecutor said, but it "would not be long" before he put it on.The 15-year-old boy could be seen carrying a balaclava, the prosecutor said, but it "would not be long" before he put it on.
Mr Kohli was spotted by the 13-year-old defendant, the court heard, who told the group that he had tried to hit one of the 15-year-old defendant's friends with a stick.Mr Kohli was spotted by the 13-year-old defendant, the court heard, who told the group that he had tried to hit one of the 15-year-old defendant's friends with a stick.
The prosecution said the defendants approached the victim but the other three children did not and two of them left the park.The prosecution said the defendants approached the victim but the other three children did not and two of them left the park.
Jurors were told that one of the friends who ran away told police they did so because they thought the boy defendant was "either going to start on him or be mean".Jurors were told that one of the friends who ran away told police they did so because they thought the boy defendant was "either going to start on him or be mean".
Mr Sandhu said: "[The girl] remained with [the boy]. She remained with him in order to support him in what was about to happen.Mr Sandhu said: "[The girl] remained with [the boy]. She remained with him in order to support him in what was about to happen.
"Within four minutes and 40 seconds, he had put his balaclava on. He had put his balaclava on in preparation for the violence he was going to use against Mr Kohli.""Within four minutes and 40 seconds, he had put his balaclava on. He had put his balaclava on in preparation for the violence he was going to use against Mr Kohli."
Mr Sandhu told the court Mr Kohli was "on his knees" when the boy slapped him round the face with the slider shoe, an incident the girl filmed as she laughed.Mr Sandhu told the court Mr Kohli was "on his knees" when the boy slapped him round the face with the slider shoe, an incident the girl filmed as she laughed.
The footage of the assault was shown to the jury.The footage of the assault was shown to the jury.
Mr Sandhu said: "You heard that slap, you heard the slider making contact with Mr Kohli's face. There was nothing for [the boy] to fear from an 80-year-old man who was on his knees. It was pure violence used by [the boy], pure violence encouraged by [the girl]. In a message recovered from the boy's phone, the court heard that he wrote: "I watched him pull a knife out on a girl and hit her. I did not mean to batter him. My anger turned in."
"[The girl] made a noise. That noise was her laughing. She laughed as [the boy] assaulted Mr Kohli." A friend of the boy told police the defendant said that he only meant to punch Mr Kohli once to his face "to teach him not to do it again", but instead he "let his anger out".
The court heard the defendant searched for "Franklin Park" on his phone the day after the attack
Mr Sandhu added: "They had to think of a way to justify the violence which had been used.
"It was not Mr Kohli's habit to carry a knife, no knife was recovered from the clothing that Mr Kohli was wearing at the time, and no knife was recovered from Franklin Park.
"The truth is, we suggest, that there was not a knife, and if there was not a knife, Mr Kohli did not pull a knife out."
Mr Sandhu told the court the boy knew the police would be looking for him, and messaged his mother and said he would not be home that night.
The next day, the boy searched for "Franklin Park" on Google the day after the attack and read a BBC News article about Mr Kohli, jurors heard.
The prosecution said he also created a Snapchat group with three other children who were at the park and asked which of them had been arrested.
The trial, which is expected to last six to eight weeks, continues.The trial, which is expected to last six to eight weeks, continues.
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