London: A 14-year-old boy arrested following the fatal assault on 80-year-old Bhim Kohli while he was out walking his dog in a park near the eastern England city of Leicester appeared in court on Thursday charged with his murder.
The boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons as he is a minor, appeared at Leicester Youth Court sitting at Leicester Magistrates' Court. He was among five children aged 12-14 years arrested following the death of Kohli in hospital on Monday night by Leicestershire Police, with the other four released earlier with no further action.
Meanwhile, Kohli's family released a statement via the police to say they were heartbroken and struggling to cope with the loss of a loving and caring person. "Bhim was a loving husband, dad and granddad. He was also a son, brother and uncle. 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," the statement reads.
"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 everyday to tend to his plots and was so proud of them. He also enjoyed walking the family dog Rocky in the park many times a day, it goes on. The family shared how Kohli "loved to laugh" and was always very happy and talkative, the "joker of the family" who always loved to outsmart us with a smile.
"Our family have lived in the same house in Braunstone for 40 years, so he was very well known in the community we have been overwhelmed by the messages and support from many who knew him. Our hearts have been completely broken. We are now pulling together as a family to try and support each other through the most difficult time imaginable and would ask for privacy while we do this, the statement concludes.
A post-mortem examination carried out after his death in hospital following the attack at Franklin Park in Braunstone Town on Sunday evening confirmed the cause of death as a neck injury, while further tests were to be carried out. "The circumstances surrounding Mr Kohli's death are extremely tragic and upsetting not only for his family and friends but also the wider community, Detective Inspector Emma Matts, Senior Investigating Officer at Leicestershire Police, said earlier this week.
We continue to offer support to the family through our family liaison officers and the local policing teams are in the area to provide reassurance and discuss any issues or concerns, she added. Now that a suspect has been charged in the case, further details will be restricted to prevent any interventions that may prejudice a murder trial.
Earlier, Leicestershire Police had admitted prior police contact with the victim, which initially led to a voluntary referral to the Independent Office of Police Conduct (IOPC) before being escalated to a mandatory referral after further contact with the watchdog.
