Daughter found dad in agony, murder trial told

The court heard Bhim Kohli, 80, regularly walked his dog Rocky in the park where he was attacked

The daughter of an 80-year-old man who died after being attacked in a park discovered him on the ground screaming in agony, a murder trial has heard.

Bhim Kohli died the day after being assaulted while walking his dog in Franklin Park, yards from his home in Braunstone Town, Leicestershire, on 1 September last year.

A 15-year-old boy and a 13-year-old girl, who cannot be named because of their ages, are on trial at Leicester Crown Court accused of killing him.

On Friday, the jury heard statements from Mr Kohli's children, who went to the park just after he was attacked.

Mr Kohli's daughter, Susan Kohli, said her father and her mother Satinder had lived at their home in Bramble Way, near the entrance to Franklin Park, for 40 years - and that he would walk his dog Rocky for 15 minutes a day "whatever the weather".

She said she had been resting at the family home when Mr Kohli went out and she heard a "commotion" outside.

The court heard she went into the park, found Mr Kohli lying on his back, and asked him what had happened.

"He screamed 'my neck, my neck, my neck'," she said.

"This was not his normal tone. He was in agony. I have never heard him cry out like in pain like that before.

"He said, 'I have been punched in the face and they have kicked me'."

When she asked him who had done it, she said Mr Kohli replied: "It was the lads, the same lads."

Mr Kohli died the day after he was attacked

She added: "I found out the lad responsible was wearing a balaclava.

"I continued to reassure my father, stroking him on the arm."

In a later statement to police, she said her father had told him that he had been racially abused.

The trial has previously heard the male defendant, who denies charges of murder and manslaughter, had said Mr Kohli had "pulled a knife" on a girl - a claim the prosecution said was false.

Mrs Kohli said her father had never habitually carried a knife - either to work in his allotment or for his protection.

She added: "He never felt the need to carry a knife - even after the anti-social behaviour."

She added Bramble Way had always been "quiet and peaceful", and described it as "a great place to live".

In a statement, Mr Kohli's son, Virender Kohli, said he arrived at Franklin Park to find paramedics helping his father.

He added: "My dad said he had been hit and indicated by pointing to his left side in the area of his ribs and left side of his neck.

"I was in shock seeing him lying on the floor."

He described his father as "fit as a fiddle" and that he regularly tended to three allotments.

The court heard Mr Kohli's children found him lying on the ground after the attack

The court was previously told the male defendant racially abused Mr Kohli before kicking and punching him during an "intense attack".

The boy, who was wearing a balaclava, also slapped Mr Kohli around the face with his slider shoe while he was on his knees, the court heard.

Prosecutors added the girl, accused of manslaughter, encouraged the violence and filmed the attack on her phone while laughing.

She denies the charge.

Earlier on Friday, the court was played police bodycam footage taken as Mr Kohli was being tended to by paramedics.

In the clip, a teenage girl said she had seen a boy "shove the man to the floor and sprint".

An account of her evidence, read to the court, said she described seeing the boy "forcefully pushing" the man on to his back and him screaming.

In a statement read to the jury, paramedic Michael Thrift said he was treating Mr Kohli at the scene and said the patient had told him he had been pushed to the floor and kicked in the chest.

Mr Thrift also said Mr Kohli appeared to be upset because he had been racially abused.

The trial continues.