A 15-year-old boy and 13-year-old girl have been found guilty of killing an 80-year-old dog walker who was filmed being assaulted before his death.
The six-week trial heard Bhim Kohli, 80, was injured and racially abused just yards from his home in Franklin Park, Braunstone Town, near Leicester on September 1 last year.
Jurors at Leicester Crown Court deliberated for six hours and 46 minutes before unanimously convicting the boy and girl, who cannot be named because of their ages, of manslaughter.
The boy had also been charged with murder, but was found not guilty by the jury on that count.
The youths, who sat in the dock for the first time since their trial began, appeared upset as the verdicts were returned by the foreman of the jury.
Jurors were told Mr Kohli suffered a broken neck and rib fractures which were consistent with “something heavy striking the rib cage” and died in hospital the next evening.
The boy, who denied inflicting the fatal injuries, told a friend he would go “on the run” to Hinckley, in Leicestershire, the day after the attack but was arrested by police minutes later while hiding in a bush, the court heard.
In a letter written two months after the attack, the court heard the boy said “I did it and I accept I’m doing time” and “I kinda just needed anger etc releasing”.
After the verdicts were returned, Mr Justice Turner further remanded the 15-year-old boy into custody and granted the female defendant bail.
He told the jury: “It’s quite clear from what I have seen that you have been following the case closely and have been extremely conscientious in the discharge of your duty.”
He adjourned sentencing for the youths until May 20.
The boy told the jury he walked over to Mr Kohli that evening, wearing a balaclava, because the girl told the group of five children that he “carries a knife”, before the man fell to his knees during a “tussle” over the youth’s slider.
The court was shown a video clip filmed by the girl of the masked boy slapping Mr Kohli in the face with his shoe, which he told the jury he did out of “instinct”.
In the prosecution’s closing speech, Harpreet Sandhu KC called the boy’s actions “gratuitous violence against a man who was defenceless”.
In another clip taken by the girl, who was alleged to be laughing in one of the videos, Mr Kohli could be seen lying motionless on his side in the park.
In his evidence, the male defendant told the court he pushed Mr Kohli over to “defend” the girl, who he thought was going to be hit or pushed by the elderly man, but he denied ever kicking or punching Mr Kohli.
The jury heard that when the victim was found injured in the park, he told his daughter that he had been called a “P***” during the attack.
Speaking after the case, Detective Chief Inspector Mark Sinski, of Leicestershire Police, said Mr Kohli was a “much-loved grandfather” who was “enjoying the simple things in life” such as spending time with his family, tending to his allotment and walking his dog.
He said: “(Mr Kohli) used to grow vegetables for his neighbours, and a lot of his neighbours used to call him ‘grandad’, both as a term of affection and as respect to the absolute gentleman he was.
“Clearly the fatal attack of an elderly man in a public park close to his home address by children has shocked the community and the family to the core. This should never have happened.
“Mr Kohli was a true family man. He was the centre of his family – a very beloved husband.
“His family have been absolutely devastated by his loss. He was in the last stage of his life, but very fit and healthy and had a long life ahead of him still.
“There’s been, from the boy, some superficial comment of remorse. I know (Mr Kohli’s) family’s position is that any remorse spoken isn’t true and it isn’t sincere.
“This is a family – a South Asian family – that have lived without racist incidents within their community for many, many years.
“It’s extremely distasteful – any sort of racist motivation, even in part. And tragic that children should have that motivation.
“It’s a no-win situation and it should never have happened.”
