A 14-year-old boy will go on trial next year after being charged with the murder of an 80-year-old grandfather who was assaulted while walking his dog in his local park.
A murder investigation was launched after Bhim Kohli died from serious injuries suffered when he was attacked in Franklin Park, seconds away from his home in Braunstone Town, Leicestershire, on Sunday evening.
The teenager, who cannot be identified because of his age, was charged by police on Wednesday, and appeared at Leicester crown court on Thursday afternoon.
During the short court appearance, Judge Harbage KC adjourned the case for a plea hearing to take place on 11 October at the same court.
The boy was remanded in custody, with a provisional trial date set for 17 February next year.
The judge told the teenager: “There is a long way to go before this matter comes to trial.
“A trial is likely to be held in February of next year. You will be remanded in custody into youth detention and you will stay there at least until the plea and trial preparation hearing, unless an application is made in the mean time.”
Four other children – a girl aged 14 and one boy and two girls aged 12 – were arrested on suspicion of murder, but were released with no further action.
Leicestershire police said a postmortem examination found that Kohli died as a result of a neck injury, pending further tests.
His family have described him as a “loving, caring person”, whose life “centred around his family”. Kohli’s family and neighbours said he loved to tend to his allotment plots, and enjoyed walking their family dog at the park “many times a day”.
He had lived in the same house, in the residential suburb south of Leicester city centre, for 40 years.
“Bhim loved to laugh,” his relatives said in a statement released via police. “He was always very happy and talkative, the joker of the family and always loved to outsmart us with a smile.”
Leicestershire police said they had made a voluntary referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct due to prior contact with the victim.
After further contact with the watchdog, the force has now made a mandatory referral.
Source: theguardian.com
