UK Teens Convicted Of Killing 80-Year-Old Indian-Origin Man

Two teenagers were on Tuesday found guilty of manslaughter in relation to the death of 80-year-old Bhim Sen Kohli, who died following an "unprovoked" assault while out walking his dog in a park near Leicester, eastern England, last September.

A 14-year-old boy and a 12-year-old girl who filmed and encouraged the attack were both convicted by a jury following a hearing at Leicester Crown Court. Neither can be named for legal reasons due to their age and will be sentenced next month.

"This tragic incident shocked the community of Leicester and beyond. Mr Kohli set out to walk his dog in his local park as he did every day, but lost his life in what followed," said Kelly Matthews, Senior District Crown Prosecutor at the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).

"We have shown in this trial that these young defendants were responsible for Mr Kohli's death - in an unprovoked attack on an innocent man. They filmed the incident and laughed and bragged about it afterwards," she said.

The court heard that the boy was the principal offender as it was his actions that resulted in Kohli's death. The evidence of the girl's involvement showed that she was part of the attack, in encouraging it and filming it, but there was not enough evidence to show she could have foreseen the terrible outcome of the boy's violent conduct.

"The circumstances surrounding this incident are truly tragic and heartbreaking. Bhim Kohli was simply doing what he did every day, walking his dog in the park that was just yards from his own front door.

"But instead of being able to enjoy an evening stroll with Rocky on a warm summer's day, he was confronted by a teenage boy, who was encouraged by a teenage girl, attacked him and left him in agony on the floor," said Detective Chief Inspector Mark Sinski, from the East Midlands Special Operations Unit Murder Investigation Team.

"Sadly, the resultant injuries were fatal and Mr Kohli's death has left not only a family grieving the loss of a beloved husband, father and grandfather but the wider community too.

"The age of the defendants in the case has added to the devastating circumstances surrounding this incident and complexities in the case. They will have to deal with the enormity that their actions resulted in a man losing his life and the consequences this now brings," he said.

Following the convictions, the victim's daughter Susan Kohli released a statement on behalf of the family to pay tribute to the devoted life partner to her mother for 55 years, a loving dad, grandad, brother and uncle.

"Listening to the enormity of what dad was subjected to will never leave us. We feel anger and disgust towards the teenagers who took dad away from us. They humiliated an 80-year-old man, assaulted him, filmed it and laughed at him," said Susan.

"Dad did not deserve this, and we wouldn't wish this pain on anyone else... Losing dad in these cruel, violent, and deeply shocking circumstances feels like our hearts have been pulled apart. We can't put into words the pain we feel every day, and this has magnified during the trial," she said.

With reference to some of the trial details, she added: "One of the videos showed dad on his knees being hit over the head with the boy's slider. A loud horrible slapping sound is heard when the boy struck dad. Hearing the girl laugh at this assault on dad is utterly disgusting. This sound plays over and over in our heads.

"Also captured on video is dad's attempt to call for help as he shouted out for his grandson. We didn't hear his call for help and this upsets us deeply." It was evidence retrieved from the girl's phone that showed harrowing footage of the attack, presented to the jury. The boy admitted to witnesses that he had assaulted Kohli and also wrote a letter to a social worker, admitting what he had done.

The CPS also presented CCTV evidence of their actions before and after the attack, including audio of them joking about the attack to friends.

"In charging these two young defendants, the CPS determined that they were both criminally responsible for Mr Kohli's death, but with different roles. They were prosecuted under the principle of joint enterprise. Both actively participated in the incident that led to Mr Kohli's death but in different ways," the CPS said. 

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