Man, 80, ‘racially taunted’ before fatal park attack
supplyA 15-year-old boy kicked an 80-year-old man dead in the park to “let go of his anger” and then mistakenly claimed that he had threatened a girl with a knife.
Leicester Crown Court was told the boy had his shoes slapped on his face while kneeling in a “strong assault” while a 13-year-old girl encouraged violence, And filmed violence on mobile phones. Smiling.
One day after the attack, Mr. Coley died in a hospital one day after the attack on September 1 last year at Franklin Park in the town of Broston, Leicestershire.
The boy denies murder and murder, while the girl denies manslaughter.
The two, who were 14 and 12, were named for their age.
Prosecutor Harpreet Sandhu KC said: “On September 1 last year, 2024, an 80-year-old man named Bhim Kohli did what he did every day.
“He left Bramble Way in Leicester. After leaving his home, he walked a few yards to the entrance to Franklin Park, where he was going to take his dog for a walk.
“However, on September 1, Mr. Coley had no chance to walk the dog for a long time and he would never go home. That’s because at Franklin Park, Mr. Coley unfortunately met the two defendants.”
The court was told Mr. Coley suffered a rib fracture and spinal cord injury during the attack.
“The prosecution said that the (boy) was charged with murder of Bhim Kohli because of the injuring of these injuries, and the (girl) who encouraged the injuring of these injuries were committed by murder,” Mr Sandhu said.
Mr. Sand told the court that the boy and the girl spent that afternoon at Braunstone Park and went to the boy’s house, where he changed his clothes and wore black sliders – a loose-fitting one Shoes, with similar appearance to triggers – the barrister said it was used in the attack.
He said CCTV footage showed Mr. Coley walking to Franklin Park around 18:18, and then a few minutes later the two defendants and three other children.
“My anger is handed over”
Prosecutors said the 15-year-old boy could be seen carrying Balaclava, but it would not be long to wear it.
The court heard Mr. Coley was discovered by the 13-year-old defendant who told the group that he tried to hit one of the 15-year-old friends with a stick.
Prosecutors said the defendant was close to the victim, but the other three children did not, and the two left the park.
The juror was told that a runaway friend told police they did it because they thought the boy defendant was “either to stand out or be mean.”
Mr. Sand said: “(the girl) is with the boy. She stays with him to support what is about to happen to him.
“In four minutes and 40 seconds, he put Balaclava on. He put Balaclava on to prepare for the violence he will use against Mr. Kohli.”
Mr Sand told the court that Mr Coley was “kneeling on his knees” and that the incident was filmed by the girl while she was laughing.
Video of the beating was shown to the jury.
The court heard in a message that was taken back from the boy’s phone: “I watched him take out a knife and hit her. I’m not going to beat him. My anger was handed in.”
A friend of the boy told police that the defendant said he was only going to hit Mr. Kohli and had “teached him not to do it again”, but he “let go of his anger”.
The trial is expected to last six to eight weeks.
