Summary

  • A 15-year-old boy and 13-year-old girl have been sentenced for Bhim Kohli's manslaughter

  • The 80-year-old was attacked while walking his dog in Franklin Park in Leicestershire in September

  • The boy was sentenced to seven years in custody - the girl was not sent to custody, but was given a three-year rehabilitation order and a six-month curfew

  • The teenagers were found guilty following a trial earlier this year - they legally cannot be named because of their ages

  • A prosecutor said Mr Kohli was slapped with a slider shoe and was racially abused during the attack, although the judge said the attack was not due to race

  • After the sentencing, Mr Kohli's daughter, Susan, says more visible police patrols could have prevented her father's death

  • Warning: There are distressing details on this page

Media caption,

'We don't want any other family to endure this pain', Bhim Kohli's daughter says

  1. Judge expected to return soonpublished at 15:18 British Summer Time 5 June

    Matt Taylor
    BBC News, Leicester

    Mr Justice Turner is expected to return at 15:30 BST to pass sentence on the two defendants.

    He will also deliver his sentencing remarks, which will be broadcast live.

  2. 'Our hearts have been pulled apart'published at 15:15 British Summer Time 5 June

    Matt Taylor
    BBC News, Leicester

    Here is a little more from the victim impact statement read aloud at Leicester Crown Court by Bhim Kohli's daughter Susan at the start of the hearing.

    She told the court her family had been surrounded by "consistent sadness" since her father died.

    "They left my dad on his own, helpless and in pain," she said.

    "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 - we have never felt hurt and sadness like this.

    "My mum, a gentle human being, has found herself saying she would like the children subjected to the same treatment they gave her husband to see how they feel."

  3. Timeline of the casepublished at 15:06 British Summer Time 5 June

    Matt Taylor
    BBC News, Leicester

    As we await the judge's decision, here's a reminder of how we got to this point.

    • 1 September 2024: Bhim Kohli is attacked at Franklin Park, in Braunstone Town, just yards from his home while walking his dog.
    • 2 September: Mr Kohli dies from his injuries in hospital a day after the attack.
    • 4 September: The male defendant, aged 14 at the time, is charged with Mr Kohli's murder.
    • 5 September: He appears first at Leicester Magistrates' Court then Leicester Crown Court before being remanded into custody.
    • 16 December: The female defendant, then aged 12, is charged with manslaughter in relation to Mr Kohli's death.
    • 18 December: The boy, now aged 15, denies charges of manslaughter and murder at Leicester Crown Court.
    • 24 January: The girl, now 13, pleads not guilty to manslaughter at the same venue.
    • 25 February: A trial for both defendants begins at Leicester Crown Court, lasting until 1 April.
    • 8 April: The jury finds both defendants guilty of manslaughter.
  4. Judge to now consider sentencespublished at 14:53 British Summer Time 5 June

    Dan Martin
    BBC News, Leicester

    The judge, Mr Justice Turner, is now rising to consider his sentence, meaning there is to be a pause in the hearing.

    Mr Justice Turner says he will seek clarity on a legal point raised by the girl's barrister. He leaves the court.

    He says he will refer to boy as D1 and the girl as D2 when his sentencing remarks are televised when the hearing resumes, so their anonymity is protected.

  5. Potential sentences discussedpublished at 14:41 British Summer Time 5 June

    Dan Martin
    BBC News, Leicester

    The boy is now sitting with his arms folded and looking at his feet as the barristers and the judge discuss possible sentences.

  6. Gasps and heads shaken by victim's familypublished at 14:35 British Summer Time 5 June

    Katie Thompson
    BBC News

    Members of Bhim Kohli's family are shaking their heads and gasping as they are hearing details of the girl's mitigation, including submissions she is a "low risk of harm" to others.

    Some are looking over to the dock at the pair as these details are being delivered. It's not provoking any kind of response from the boy or the girl.

  7. Strong support from Kohli's family in courtpublished at 14:34 British Summer Time 5 June

    Navtej Johal
    Midlands correspondent

    There is a significant amount of support here on behalf of Mr Kohli’s family.

    By my count, there is a group of 15 relatives and friends sat together in court, including his widow, Satinder and daughter, Susan.

  8. Defence says girl 'played a minor role'published at 14:28 British Summer Time 5 June

    Dan Martin
    BBC News, Leicester

    Jeremy Benson KC, represents the girl. He is not present in court but is now speaking on her behalf by video link.

    He says: "It was never the prosection's case that the girl's intent was identical to the boy's.

    "If that was true, she would have been charged with murder, but she was not."

    He says she "played a minor role" in Mr Kohli's killing.

    "There was no intention to cause any harm. Her responsibility was substantially reduced by her lack of maturity," he says.

    He adds she was "some distance from the original violence".

  9. 'He never intended Mr Kohli to die' says defencepublished at 14:19 British Summer Time 5 June

    Dan Martin
    BBC News, Leicester

    Balraj Bhatia KC said Mr Kohli's injuries were consistent with the defence's case that the boy fell on top of Mr Kohli after giving him a "forceful push".

    He says "this was a one-push manslaughter" though he accepts Mr Kohli was particularly vulnerable because of his age.

    Mr Bhatia says: "He never intended Mr Kohli to die. There is genuine remorse."

    There is laughter from Mr Kohli’s family as Mr Bhatia says this.

    The judge says the remorse may be "diluted", because the boy had later said Mr Kohli had a knife and that he had attacked the girl in the park.

  10. Boy was cleared of murder after trialpublished at 14:05 British Summer Time 5 June

    Dan Martin
    BBC News, Leicester

    We're now hearing from Balraj Bhatia KC, who represents the boy.

    He points out his client has already spent 273 days in custody.

    Mr Bhatia reminds the court the boy was tried for murder but cleared of that charge after the trial in April.

    The boy, meanwhile, is sitting in the dock with his hands in his pockets during this address.

    The court has also heard that neither defendant has any previous convictions.

  11. Mitigation about to get under waypublished at 14:00 British Summer Time 5 June

    Katie Thompson
    BBC News

    We're nearly an hour into the sentencing hearing and are about to begin to hear mitigation for the boy.

    All eyes are now on defence barrister Balraj Bhatia KC.

  12. Kohli was racially abused during attackpublished at 13:57 British Summer Time 5 June

    Dan Martin
    BBC News, Leicester

    Prosecutor Harpreet Sandhu KC tells the judge the boy punched a "prone" Mr Kohli.

    He says the boy told a friend after the attack he "let his anger out and he could not stop".

    Mr Kohli's daughter Susan listens attentively to Mr Sandhu as he says Mr Kholi was racially abused during the attack.

    He read out a statement from a paramedic who treated Mr Kohli at the scene who said the victim seemed "greatly upset" about being targeted with the racial slur.

    Investigation at Franklin ParkImage source, PA Media

    The judge hears the boy later said Mr Kohli had a knife, but Mr Sandhu says that was "palpably untrue".

    Mr Sandhu says Mr Kohli was particularly vulnerable because of his age and the boy had a leading role in the attack, but was encouraged to do it by the girl.

    He adds there was "deliberate humiliation" of Mr Kohli because the attack was filmed by the girl.

    The court is reminded the boy put on a balaclava as he approached Mr Kohli in the park that evening.

  13. Events of park attack read out to courtpublished at 13:44 British Summer Time 5 June

    Katie Thompson
    BBC News

    The family of Mr Kohli are seated on the front row of the public gallery as they were during the trial. They are staring ahead at the wall in front of them as prosecutor Harpreet Sandhu KC is addressing the judge, detailing the events of that evening in Franklin Park on 1 September.

    The boy in the dock is looking down, while the girl, who is seated with him with two security guards between them, is staring ahead into the court room.

  14. Prosecutor says boy pushed, punched and kicked Kohlipublished at 13:40 British Summer Time 5 June

    Dan Martin
    BBC News, Leicester

    Prosecutor Harpreet Sandu KC is now addressing the judge.

    He says the boy pushed, punched and kicked Mr Kohli, and did so out of anger.

    "[The violence] was part of a seven-and-a-half minute period of continuing aggression," he said.

    Mr Sandhu talks through video clips, including the moment the boy slapped Mr Kohli on the face with a slider shoe.

    Mr Kohli suffered three broken ribs and other fractures but Mr Sandhu said the fatal injury was to his spinal cord caused by a spine fracture.

  15. 'It feels like a railtrack I can't get off'published at 13:33 British Summer Time 5 June

    Katie Thompson
    BBC News

    Continuing the statement while occasionally glancing over at the pair in the dock, Susan Kohli described how she feels like "I am on a railtrack that I can’t get off, but I must keep going on it".

    She said she and her mother were always "looking over our shoulders when taking Rocky for a walk after what happened to dad".

    Ms Kohli went on to describe the toll taken on her own health in the wake of what happened to her father, saying she had taken early retirement and needed professional support.

  16. No reaction from teens to daughter's statementpublished at 13:27 British Summer Time 5 June

    Navtej Johal
    Midlands correspondent

    The boy and girl showed no emotion as the statement was read out by Susan Kohli.

  17. 'We feel nothing but anger'published at 13:24 British Summer Time 5 June

    Dan Martin
    BBC News, Leicester

    Susan Kohli's statement goes on to describe the trial process as "overwhelming" for her family as they "listened to the enormity of what happened, what dad was subjected to".

    "We feel nothing but anger and disgust towards the boy and the girl," she said.

    "The girl disgustingly videoed dad as he lay on his side after the attack.

    "Dad passed away before our eyes surrounded by his family who all had tears in their eyes."

    Susan thanked the community and said she had taken solace from hearing stories from other dog walkers who knew her father.

  18. Court falls silent as victim impact statements startpublished at 13:22 British Summer Time 5 June

    Katie Thompson
    BBC News

    A packed court 6 is silent as statements are being read out to the court. The public gallery is full of both family of the victim and the two defendants, while the judge and barristers are not wearing wigs and gowns, as is standard for a case involving youth defendants.

    The daughter of Mr Kohli, Susan, has taken to the witness box to read hers out in person.

    She says her dad was "the person who knitted our family together" and we feel his loss every second of every day…“Our house feels so empty without dad and will never be the same. Every time my mum opens the front door she thinks about what happened to her husband.”

  19. Grandson's memories of his grandfather 'stained'published at 13:17 British Summer Time 5 June

    Matt Taylor
    BBC News, Leicester

    The hearing has started with victim impact statements being read to the court, including one written by Mr Kohli's grandson, Simranjit.

    It said Mr Kohli was "the main reason I am what I am today. My life, my goals and my story revolve around him".

    The statment added: "I used to have memories of me and my granddad joking as we walked Rocky [Mr Kohli's dog].

    "But now they are stained by the memories of seeing him lying there in pain."

  20. View from inside the courtroompublished at 12:59 British Summer Time 5 June

    Dan Martin
    BBC News, Leicester

    There is quiet chatter in the court room as we await the start of the hearing.

    Mr Kohli’s wife Satinder and his daughter Susan are in the public gallery, along with other family members.

    The press bench is full of reporters – the case having attracted both national and international media attention.

    The boy and the girl are sitting in the dock, accompanied by two security guards, awaiting the arrival of the judge.

    He is wearing a grey hoodie. She is in a black jumper and white shirt.