Two teenagers, ages 15 and 13, a boy and a girl, respectively, have been found guilty of manslaughter in connection with the killing of 80-year-old Bhim Kohli in September 2024. Kohli was walking his dog at a park in Leicester, England, when the then-14-year-old boy attacked him while the then-13-year-old girl encouraged him to continue and recorded the assault.
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According to a statement issued by the Crown Prosecution Service, the incident took place on September 1, 2024. The two teenagers arrived at Franklin Park in Leicester alongside other similarly-aged juveniles. Reportedly, both approached Kohli while he was walking his dog. At the same time, the other teenagers accompanying them left the park in a hurry.
As per Leicester Police, the teenagers believed that Bhim Kohli had hit another teenager with a stick in the past, which was never proven. The boy approached Kohli and began shouting at him while the girl remained close to him. While wearing a balaclava, the boy began attacking the 80-year-old man, even slapping him with a slider while Kohli remained on his knees.
At the same time, the girl recorded the attack, encouraging the boy to continue and even laughing at the situation. Moments later, they both fled the scene, leaving Kohli injured on the ground. Kohli's grandson found him at the park. Soon, other family members joined him. Emergency services arrived, and Kohli stated that he had been attacked by the teenagers.
Bhim Kohli was transported to a local hospital but, unfortunately, succumbed to his injuries a day later. Reportedly, he had suffered a neck injury that caused spinal cord damage. Furthermore, Kohli had also suffered fractures to three of his ribs during the boy's attack.
Found Guilty
All teenagers were arrested, but only the boy and the girl were charged. Throughout the investigation, both teenagers alleged outlandish things that Kohli had done that prompted the attack.
For example, as per Leicester police, the boy claimed he had attacked Kohli after the 80-year-old pulled a knife on a girl. He also said that Kohli had hit him first before he slapped him with a slider. Moreover, the boy claimed that he fell on top of Kohli after pushing him to the ground. All these claims were proven false.
As a result, both teenagers were found guilty of manslaughter on Tuesday, April 8.
Kelly Matthews from the Crown Prosecution Service said that the incident had "shocked the community of Leicester and beyond."
"Mr Kohli was a much-loved family man and his loss is felt keenly by those close to him," Matthews said. "I would like to offer them my heart-felt sympathy for their loss and express my admiration for the dignity they have shown giving their accounts of these events to the court in such difficult circumstances."
