A pensioner was beaten to death by his Covent Garden neighbour in a row over shutting the front gate, a court has heard.
James O’Neill, known to his family as Jim, was punched in the face and kicked by 57-year-old Trevor Gocan during an incident on October 6 last year.
Mr O’Neill, 74, was taken to hospital but died from his injuries just over a fortnight later.
The alleged murder happened at the front gate to the Covent Garden estate off Long Acre where both men lived.
“Trevor Gocan and Mr O’Neill encountered each other at the entrance gate to the estate”, said prosecutor Lisa Wilding KC.
“An argument started, probably about shutting the gate, and it descended to violence.”
Southwark crown court heard Gocan is accused of attacking Mr O’Neill and then walking away as the pensioner lay wounded on the ground.
Ms Wilding told jurors that Mr O’Neill was punched so hard to the face that a tooth fell out, and Gocan then kicked him in the torso.
Gocan is now on trial accused of murder.
“Trevor Gocan and James O’Neill were neighbours although they didn’t know it”, said Ms Wilding.
“Both lived in flats in a small estate in central London called Odhams Walk, just off of Long Acre which, as many of you will know is the central road that runs east to west through Covent Garden.”
Ms Wilding told the court the incident, on Sunday October 6, 2024 was not caught on camera, but a witness says he did not see Mr O’Neill touch Gocan before the attack.
“The violence was delivered by the defendant - Trevor Gocan – he punched and kicked at Mr O’Neill who was immediately sent to the ground with an obviously bleeding head wound”, she said.
“The defendant walked away and left Mr O’Neill on the ground.”
The court heard the gate to the housing estate - where Mr O’Neill had lived with his wife since 1982 - is open Monday to Friday, but is closed on Sundays.
Jurors heard Mr O’Neill had collected a Tesco delivery on the morning of the assault, he had gone out for a Sunday newspaper, and then he told his wife Sara he was going for a walk to “earn” his roast lunch.
The pensioner, wearing Croc slippers, shorts and t-shirt, glasses, and his hearing aid, left the flat just before midday, and encountered Gocan who was returning home from buying a Pret a Manger sandwich.
Mohammed Rahman, a security guard at the Zara store opposite, saw Gocan walk through the gate at the front of the estate, moments before an argument broke out.
“He saw the defendant, who was still holding his sandwich, pointing his finger at Mr O’Neill and standing as if - in his words - ready for a fight”, said Ms Wilding.
“Mr Rahman watched as Mr Gocan stepped forward and punched Jim O’Neill in the face using the hand he had the sandwich in. As a result of that, he saw something drop from Jim O’Neill’s mouth which he thought was blood.
“When asked to describe the punch by the police, he said it was a 5 - 6 out of 10. Immediately he then saw the defendant put his sandwich on the floor and kick Jim O’Neill in the abdomen or groin area with a kick that he said had a lot of force behind it and he would rate it as a 7-8 out of 10, he said the kick had a wide arch - swing to it - and he did not see the full connection.
“He saw Jim O’Neill remained on his feet for 2-3 seconds before he fell to the floor and landed on his side. Then, he said the defendant then stood over him in an intimidating fashion as if ready to do more.”
A family leaving Zara rushed over with Mr Rahman to help Mr O’Neill, but were initially thwarted by the gate being locked and the pensioner lying wounded on the other side.
When they secured access, they offered first aid before paramedics arrived.
One of the family, Chloe Samuels, told the court: “As soon as we got to the exit of Zara, I saw a male being assaulted on the floor.
“I saw another person kicking at the person on the floor.”
Ms Samuels said she shouted “there’s a man being beaten up” when she saw the attack, and as they rushed over she saw the man who delivered the kick going through a door behind him.
She said her mother started pressing random numbers of the PIN entry pad to try to get the gate open, and Ms Samuels said she quickly realised Mr O’Neill was badly hurt.
“There looked like there was blood on the right side, on the path”, she said, and told jurors Mr O’Neill was “groaning” and appeared to be struggling to breathe.
Ms Wilding told jurors Gocan is accused of having “deliberately, unlawfully – so not in self defence - struck out at Jim O’Neill, punched him with sufficient force to dislodge a tooth and created a through-and-through wound in her lip, and kicked out at him in his torso.
“The prosecution says those actions taken in combination were designed and intended to cause Mr O’Neill really serious injury. They did cause that injury, and those injuries caused his death.”
She went on: “Jim O’Neill put up no physical fight - he did not touch the defendant.
“Whatever argument took place between them, the defendant’s response to that argument was completely unnecessary, over-the-top, and unjustified.
“It may have been done in anger, it may have been frustration. Whatever the reason, in the blows he delivered, and kick or kicks he delivered, that force was excessive and unlawful.
“It was delivered in such a way that you can conclude he could only have intended to cause Mr O’Neill really serious harm.”
The court has heard Gocan does not dispute that he caused the injuries, but says he was acting in lawful self defence. He also denies intending to cause serious harm to Mr O’Neill.
Gocan, of Odhams Walk, Covent Garden, denies murder. The trial continues.
