Girl denies targeting Bhim Kohli before fatal park attack

A 13-year-old girl, who filmed part of a fatal attack on an elderly man, has denied that she used a photograph of the victim to “target” him before the assault.

The girl is currently on trial for the manslaughter of Bhim Kohli, an 80-year-old who was attacked in Franklin Park, Braunstone Town, Leicestershire, on 1 September last year.

Kohli, who had been out walking his dog near his home, passed away the following day after sustaining serious injuries in the attack. The girl, who was 12 at the time, is accused of pointing Kohli out to a 15-year-old boy who then allegedly punched and kicked him, even slapping him with a slider shoe.

During the trial at Leicester Crown Court, jurors heard that the girl had taken a photograph of Kohli a week before the attack. The image, captured on 24 August, showed Kohli in the park holding twigs.

The prosecutor, Harpreet Sandhu KC, questioned why the girl kept the photo on her phone. The defendant denied any malicious intent, saying she didn’t know why she saved it, and insisted it was not kept to show others or to “target” Kohli.

Sandhu asked if she kept the photo to use it later to identify Kohli, but the girl denied this as well. When questioned about the fatal incident, the girl claimed she did not point Kohli out to the boy, even though the prosecutor suggested that her actions led directly to the assault.

The girl maintained she didn’t know Kohli would be in the park that evening and denied encouraging the boy’s violent behaviour. The incident unfolded when Kohli was allegedly approached by the boy, who was seen wearing a balaclava moments after the two entered the park.

The girl, who filmed part of the assault, denied egging on the boy as he attacked Kohli. She also denied knowing the boy was going to be violent.

In her defence, the girl explained that she had moved the video clips she took of Kohli into a private section of Snapchat so that others wouldn’t see them. She claimed she had forgotten to inform the police about the videos when they were first questioned.

Prosecutors also presented footage showing the girl laughing as the boy struck Kohli with his shoe, but the defendant denied laughing at the violence, insisting it was a “gasp” of shock. The girl told the court that she felt worried when Kohli, who was on the ground after the assault, came close to her, raising his arms in a slapping motion. She added that she stepped back, expecting him to strike her, but the boy then intervened.

The trial also heard from the girl about prior incidents involving Kohli. She stated that, on one occasion, Kohli had hit a friend of hers with sticks and that he had used abusive language when a group of children threw apples at him in the park.

The boy involved in the attack, who denies murder and manslaughter, is also on trial. Both defendants cannot be named due to their ages.

Trial in the case continues, with further evidence expected in the coming days.