Yahoo News What we know about killing of pensioner in park attack as boy, 14, charged with murder
Leicestershire Police have charged a 14-year-old boy with murder after Bhim Kohli, 80, died in hospital because of injuries sustained in the attack.
A 14-year-old boy has appeared in court charged with murder following the killing of an 80-year-old grandfather in park in Leicestershire.
A murder investigation was launched when Bhim Kohli died after being seriously injured near the entrance of Franklin Park in Braunstone Town on Sunday evening.
Five children – a boy and a girl aged 14 and one boy and two girls aged 12 – were arrested on suspicion of murder but four were released without further action. The 14-year-old boy was charged with murder on Wednesday night.
Kohli’s family said: “Our hearts have been completely broken. He really was such a loving, caring person whose life was centred around his family."
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> Tributes paid to 'loving husband, father and grandfather'
What we know
Kohli was walking his dog in the park when he was the victim of a "serious assault", police said.
He was wearing a black jumper and grey jogging bottoms at the time of the attack, which took place close to the park entrance in Bramble Way.
Police said a group of "young people" fled the scene before the emergency services arrived.
Kohli subsequently died in a hospital, with an initial post-mortem examination finding it was a result of a neck injury, pending further tests.
A boy and a girl aged 14, and one boy and two girls, all aged 12, were initially arrested on suspicion of murder. Following the release of four of the children, the 14-year-old boy continued to be questioned and it was confirmed that he had been charged with murder on Wednesday night. He appeared at Leicester Youth Court on Thursday morning and was remanded in custody until the afternoon, when he will appear at Leicester Crown Court.
Leicestershire Police force said it had made a voluntary referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) due to prior contact with the victim. Following further contact with the watchdog, the force has now made a mandatory referral.
What we don't know
The identity of the 14-year-old charged with murder is not known – and he is not likely to be identified due to his age.
While police have provided a small amount of detail about Kohli’s injuries, the wider circumstances surrounding his death remain unclear.
Following the attack, Kohli's daughter told local press he had been taken to Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham with spinal injuries.
She told Leicestershire Live: "He had been taking the dog for a walk. He was about 30 seconds away from getting home when he was attacked."
Police said they want to speak to anyone who was in the park or the area of Bramble Way between 6pm and 6.45pm on Sunday.
Detectives have spoken to residents in the area the force said, in a bid to work as quickly as possible to establish what happened.
Detective Inspector Emma Matts, senior investigating officer, said police are ”continuing to keep an open mind” around the circumstances surrounding the incident.
While Leicestershire Police has said it had prior contact with the victim before his death, no details have emerged of what this entailed.
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'A loving husband, dad and grandad'
The family statement paints a picture of a man devoted to his family.
"Bhim was a loving husband, dad and grandad. He was also a son, brother and uncle," the statement said. “He adored his grandkids with all his heart and loved spending time with them. He really was such a loving, caring person whose life was centred around his family.
“He has always been a very hardworking man and even at the age of 80 he was still very active.
“One of his great passions was his allotment, he would go every day to tend to his plots and was so proud of them. He also enjoyed walking the family dog Rocky on the park many times a day.
“Bhim loved to laugh. He was always very happy and talkative, the joker of the family and always loved to outsmart us with a smile."
Several others who knew the victim have also paid tribute.
Speaking to the Mirror, Deep Kaila said she had known him for 35 years and they were "good friends".
They said: “His family are devastated. He was a skinny, fit man who was always at the allotment across the road from his house. He has two boys and a daughter, all grown up, and two grandsons. He had a factory in Leicester making jumpers and cardigans but retired many years ago. It’s tragic what happened."
Another one of Kohli's neighbours, Harjinder Kalia, 53, told the BBC: ”I've lived here for 35 years, he was a nice person, he was always joking, to everyone not just with us, everybody.“
Friend Nigel Morris said Kohli “always had a smile”, adding to the BBC: “He was just a genuinely nice guy. I don't understand any of this. He was a proper gent. I'm just sick – I feel quite sick about the whole thing.”
Neighbour Frank Owen, 50, told the Daily Mail: ”I haven't lived here long and would just say 'hello' when I saw Bhim walking his dog. But he seemed really nice. I can't imagine why anyone would want to do this."
Another friend, Graham Haldane, 55, told the Telegraph: “He was a lovely guy but was getting very frail. He had osteoporosis and could hardly move his neck.”
