13-Year-Old Girl and 15-Year-Old Boy Who ‘Made a Racist Remark,’ Laughed and Bragged About Beating 80-Year-Old Man to Death Later Claimed It Was Self Defense; A Jury Didn’t Buy It
Two teenagers were convicted of manslaughter for the beating death of an elderly man who was viciously attacked in a park last year as he was walking his dog.
According to a release from the Crown Prosecution Service, a 15-year-old boy and a 13-year-old girl were accused of fatally assaulting 80-year-old Bhim Kohli in Braunstone Town, England.
Police said that the teens — who were 14 and 12 at the time of the attack — approached Kohli on Sept. 1, 2024, as he was walking his dog at a park near his home. The older teen accused Kohli of hitting one of his friends with a stick, a report that authorities later discovered was unfounded.
The boy started verbally assaulting Kohli, put on a balaclava — also known as a ski mask — he was carrying in his pocket, and then began physically attacking Kohli.
The girl filmed the entire encounter on her phone, including when the boy slapped Kohli in his face with his shoe. The teens fled the scene after the attack and left Kohli lying on the ground.
A short time later, Kohli’s grandson found the 80-year-old on the ground “in considerable pain.” Other family members arrived and emergency responders were called to the scene.
Kohli told authorities he had been “punched and kicked” by the boy, who also “made a racist remark” during the assault.
Kohli suffered fractures to three of this ribs and a neck injury that caused damage to his spinal cord. He died the day after the attack.
A few days after Kohli’s death, the boy was charged with murder with an alternative count of manslaughter. The girl was charged with manslaughter in December.
Investigators learned that after the attack, the assailants caught up with some friends and were “laughing about the incident and even bragging about it.”
An investigation of the 15-year-old’s phone records uncovered Snapchat messages the boy sent to friends in which he admitted to attacking Kohli, but claiming he had done it because he saw him pull out a knife and hit a girl.
During his trial, the boy said that he only hit Kohli with his shoe after he saw the man make a move to hit him first. He also testified that Kohli went after the girl, so he pushed him and fell on top of him which caused his neck and spinal injuries. Authorities say they discovered no evidence proving Kohli attacked someone.
Investigators also learned that the girl encouraged the boy while he was attacking Kohli. Prosecutors presented evidence revealing that encouraging and filming violent incidents was characteristic behavior for her. Video of the assault on Kohli was played for the jury.
“A loud horrible slapping sound is heard when the boy struck dad,” Kohli’s daughter Susan told BBC reporters. “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.”
A jury convicted both teens of manslaughter on April 8. The boy’s murder charge was dropped. They will be sentenced in May.
“Bhim Kohli was simply doing what he did every day, walking his dog on the park that was just yards from his own front door,” Detective Chief Inspector Mark Sinski from the East Midlands Special Operations Unit Murder Investigation Team said.
“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. 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,” Sinski continued.