A friend of an 80-year-old man who died after being allegedly ‘kicked in the neck and back’ by a group of children has revealed he feels ‘sick’ over his death.
Nigel Morris paid tribute to his friend Bhim Sen Kohli who passed away this week after being ‘seriously’ assaulted by a ‘group of youths’ while walking his dog in Franklin Park in Braunstone Town, Leicester, on Sunday.
Speaking to BBC News, Mr Morris said: ‘He always had a smile. 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.’
Mr Kohli succumbed to his injuries in hospital on Tuesday night after he was attacked just seconds away from the safety of his home. Leicester Police later confirmed the grandfather ‘died of a neck injury, pending further tests.’
The force said yesterday that five children, a boy and a girl aged 14 and two girls and one boy aged 12, had been arrested on suspicion of murder. But it later added that all but the 14-year-old boy have been released without charge.
Leicester Police has also reported itself to the police watchdog due to previous contact with Mr Kohli.
Detectives are ‘continuing to carry out enquiries to establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident’, and are appealing for anyone in the area between 6pm and 6:45pm to come forward.
Detective Inspector Emma Matts, senior investigating officer, said: ‘The circumstances surrounding Mr Kohli’s death are extremely tragic and upsetting not only for his family and friends but also the wider community.
‘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. The family are aware of the significant public interest in the death of their loved one and would like to thank people for their kind words and sympathy. At this stage the family are asking for privacy at this extremely difficult time.
‘Our investigation into the assault on Mr Kohli remains ongoing. We continue to keep an open mind around the circumstances surrounding the incident as we work to establish what occurred in the park on Sunday evening. I would continue to urge anyone who can assist our investigation to come forward.’
The force added that the scene preservation in the park, where he was killed, has now been lifted.
Mr Kohli’s 1970s semi, where he lived with his wife Satinder Kaur, 73, is the second to last house before the park entrance, just yards from where he was attacked. He would regularly walk his 15-year-old black and tan crossbreed dog, Rocky, in the park.
His daughter said that her father had been left with neck and spine injuries after the attack. She told the Leicester Mercury: ‘They pushed him, they kicked him in the neck, kicked him in the spine.
‘He was about 30 seconds away from getting home. He’s always been very active – he has three allotments. We’ve lived here for 40 years.’ She described rushing to the park to find her father ‘lying under a tree’.
Neighbours and others living in the area said they had called the police in the last two or three months over gangs of youths abusing Asian residents and reported seeing them kicking cans and climbing on bungalow roofs.
They also said the children had thrown football-sized rocks at Mr Kohli. The large stones are used to stop people parking on grass verges in the quiet cul de sac but several were missing today.
One neighbour, who did not want to give his name for fear of reprisals, said: ‘Over the last two or three months there has been a group of youngsters, shouting and abusing Asian people.
‘I have seen it, I haven’t been always able to hear exactly what they are saying but it is clear what they are doing. The police have been called. It is awful. I don’t know why the are like this, you have to question the way they have been raised.’
Another neighbour, 50-year-old Frank Owen, said: ‘It’s only the last few weeks we’ve had this trouble with a bunch of kids. They’ve been playing up late at night. I’ve heard they were on a bungalow.’
‘It’s a cul de sac so unless you are coming here for a reason there is not much point unless you are going to the park.’
David Donahue, 75, a retired aircraft engineer from Pittsburgh in the US, who is visiting his sister-in-law, said: ‘We saw a group of youngsters kicking a can down the street earlier in the day. Well, we heard the noise then saw them.
‘My sister-in-law regularly walks in the park but has said she won’t now – she doesn’t feel safe.’
One resident said: ‘I think he had been harassed before by teenagers. I don’t know him really, but I saw him around.
‘That afternoon I did see three lads and two teenage girls walking around laughing.
‘I know someone said kids had been throwing stones at him.’
Another one of Mr Kohil’s neighbours, Harjinder Kalia, 53, said: ‘I’ve lived here for 35 years, he was a nice person, he was always joking, to everyone not just with us, everybody.
She added: ‘There is no reason why anyone would do this. Sometimes children would fight with each other in the park.’
Mr Kohli was a retired factory owner and leaves behind his devastated wife, three children and two grandchildren.
His daughter yesterday said that her father had been left with neck and spine injuries after the attack, and had been scheduled to undergo surgery before he died.
She told the Leicester Mercury: ‘They pushed him, they kicked him in the neck, kicked him in the spine. He was about 30 seconds away from getting home’
She described rushing to the park to find her father ‘lying under a tree’.
Deep Singh Kalia, 70, a long-time friend and neighbour of Mr Kohli told the Sun: ‘He was such a lovely guy. It is a horrible shock. I would meet up with him every day. We were both originally from the Punjab in India.
‘He loved his allotment, and loved his dog, and loved his family. He used to own a factory that made jumpers and cardigans.’
Another friend, 55-year-old Graham Haldane, told the Telegraph that cops took three days to take a statement.
‘He was a lovely guy but was getting very frail. He had osteoporosis and could hardly move his neck’, he said.
‘He had three plots at the allotments and worked on them all year round. He had some bother a few months back with some kids who had climbed onto the flat garage roof opposite.
‘He challenged them and they dished out some abuse and spat at him. He rang the police about it but it took them three days to come round and take a statement.
Detectives have been working with local residents and are actively seeking witnesses who were in the park on Sunday evening to come forward.
Earlier today Emma Matts, a detective inspector, said: ‘Sadly, following the death of the victim last night, this has now become a murder investigation.
‘Officers are continuing to work at speed to establish the details of the attack and we have made a number of arrests as we continue to understand what has happened.
‘A scene preservation will remain in place at the park while our investigation progresses. Local officers are also in the area carrying out reassurance patrols and can speak to anyone in the local community who has concerns.’
Police believe the man had been wearing a black jumper and grey jogging bottoms.
Leicestershire Police said in a statement today: ‘At 18.30 on Sunday 1st September 2024, an 80-year-old man was assaulted near the Franklin Park entrance, Bramble way, Braunstone Town, and later died in hospital.
‘It is reported the victim, who was walking his dog, is believed to have been wearing a black jumper and grey jogging bottoms and was seriously assaulted by a group of young people. They left the scene prior to emergency services arriving.
‘Leicestershire Police have launched a murder investigation and have arrested five people – a boy and a girl aged 14 and one boy and two girls aged 12 – on suspicion of murder. They are currently being interviewed by police.
‘Detectives are currently working to establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident and are speaking to residents in the area to gather as much information as possible. They also wish speak to anyone who was in the park or in the surrounding area.
‘Were you in the area of Franklin Park or Bramble Way from 1800 to 1845 on Sunday 1st September 2024? Did you see the attack itself? From the description given did you see the victim before the incident or possibly a group of young people leaving the area after?
‘If you have information, and if you have relevant digital photos, videos, CCTV, or Dash-cam / Doorbell-cam footage please submit via the Portal form.’