Latest news with #SusanKohli
Telegraph
4 days ago
- Telegraph
Police ‘could have stopped' pensioner's killers, family claims
Police could have prevented the killing of an elderly dog-walker, had they acted sooner in response to a similar attack just weeks earlier, his daughter has claimed. Bhim Kohli, 80, was punched and kicked, slapped in the face with a shoe and racially abused in an attack in Franklin Park, Braunstone Town, near Leicester, on Sept 1 last year, and died the next day. A boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was convicted of his manslaughter and sentenced to seven years' custody in June, when he was aged 15, while a 13-year-old girl, who encouraged the attack by filming parts of it while laughing, was also convicted. Mr Kohli's daughter, Susan Kohli, said a report she has been given showed Leicestershire Police knew the identities of two different teenagers involved in another attack on an Asian man, who was racially abused and assaulted in the same park around two weeks beforehand. But she told the BBC that officers 'sat' on the information and did not arrest the boys until after her father's death. Ms Kohli called for the police watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), to look again at Leicestershire Police's actions, saying that, without the delays, there was a chance her father 'would still be here'. She told the broadcaster: 'You (the police) sat on it for over two weeks and didn't do anything – it could have sent a message around to the estate. 'When you have either police presence, or you take action, or have firm words with children that are from the estate, from the same school, word gets around. 'Word would have got around to say, 'you know what? We might need to be cautious about being around this area'.' The BBC was also told that police had received reports Mr Kohli had been subject to abuse on previous occasions. Mr Kohli had intervened in the earlier attack on Aug 17 last year, during which a man was targeted by two white boys aged 12 and 13, who threw a large rock at him and used racial slurs against him. The report detailing the investigation, seen by the BBC, revealed a further eight reports of similar incidents, between June and August last year, have been made to the police since Mr Kohli's death. The police conducted an investigation reviewed by the IOPC following Mr Kohli's death over the case and the force's previous contact with Mr Kohli. The force said the probe 'found that there was no misconduct or missed opportunities which could have prevented Mr Kohli's death'. But the report identified an 'organisational learning' in relation to logging and tagging incidents of anti-social behaviour. Chief Superintendent Jonathan Starbuck, of Leicestershire Police, told the BBC the force recognised the concerns raised by Ms Kohli regarding anti-social behaviour in the Franklin Park area during the summer of 2024. He added: 'We continue to monitor the area of Franklin Park and have engaged with the community through a local survey, drop-in centres, engagement with local schools, youth work and proactive policing patrols.' A spokesman for the IOPC said it had reviewed Leicestershire Police's report into the investigation. They said: 'We agreed with their finding that police officers did proactively investigate matters reported to them and there was nothing to indicate any officers or police staff committed a criminal offence or behaved in a manner justifying disciplinary proceedings. 'And we agreed with learning identified by the force in respect of accurately recording and tagging incidents of anti-social behaviour, thus ensuring incidents can be dealt with appropriately and to support the long-term management and deterrence of ASB.'
BBC News
5 days ago
- BBC News
Bhim Kohli death: Police 'sat on information' before dog walker, 80, fatally attacked
Police "sat on information" that could have prevented a fatal attack on an elderly man due to shift patterns and a bank holiday, his daughter has Kohli, 80, was punched and kicked by a 14-year-old boy while a girl, 12, filmed the attack in September - two weeks after he had witnessed another Asian man being racially abused and assaulted by two other boys a report - given to Susan Kohli - shows police knew the identities of the pair involved in the previous assault days after it happened, but did not arrest them until after her father's death. Leicestershire Police said it had identified "organisational learning" for logging anti-social behaviour. Warning: This article contains racially-offensive languageMs Kohli believes her father "would still be here" had police acted sooner over the previous attack, which occurred on 17 August 2024 near Franklin Park in Braunstone Town, Leicestershire - about two weeks before Mr Kohli's death following the assault at the same has questioned the delay between identifying the perpetrators and arresting them three days after her father's Kohli has called on the police watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), to review the investigation said: "You [the police] sat on it for over two weeks and didn't do anything - it could have sent a message around to the estate."When you have either police presence or you take action or have firm words with children that are from the estate, from the same school, word gets around. "Word would have got around to say, 'you know what? We might need to be cautious about being around this area'."Mr Kohli had been walking his dog Rocky when he was attacked on 1 September. He died the day after he was subjected to the "seven-and-a-half minute period of continuing aggression", for which the boy and girl, now aged 15 and 13 respectively, were both convicted of boy was sentenced to seven years in custody, while the girl was given a youth rehabilitation order of three years and made subject to a six-month curfew. Meanwhile, the victim of the 17 August 2024 attack was targeted by two white boys, aged 12 and 13, who threw a large rock at him yards from Mr Kohli's pair - who were not involved in Mr Kohli's death - spat at the man, repeatedly threw stones at him, taunted him and shouted at him to "go back to your village".Near the end of footage, filmed by Ms Kohli, one of the boys can be heard using a four-word racial slur and telling the man his dad is a "curry muncher".Ms Kohli, her father and others intervened in the unprovoked attack on the man - who wishes to remain anonymous - after the boys picked up a large log from the were called and Mr Kohli told officers he had witnessed the boys were arrested on 5 September, three days after Mr Kohli's appeared in youth court in Leicester in December charged with racially or religiously aggravated common assault, which they were dealt with out of court by way of a deferred youth caution following a referral to the youth justice panel for an out-of-court disposal - a process aimed at diverting young people away from the criminal justice system where possible. During the trial of Mr Kohli's killers, the court was told about an occasion "a week or two" before his death when the convicted girl was present while other children threw apples at jury was also shown a video she had filmed on her phone of another Asian man having a water balloon thrown at him and being racially the BBC was previously told it was reported to police that in July last year, Mr Kohli had stones thrown at him, was spat at and had been racially abused by a group of children after he told them to get off his neighbour's garage Mr Kohli's death, Leicestershire Police conducted an investigation - reviewed by the IOPC - into the case and the force's previous contact with Mr Kohli, which did not identify any "misconduct or missed opportunities which could have prevented his death".A report detailing the investigation, seen by the BBC, reveals a further eight reports of similar incidents between June and August last year have been made to the police since Mr Kohli's also shows that a PCSO had identified the boys involved in the 17 August 2024 assault four days after it happened in footage on the police were arrested on 5 September. In an email, Ms Kohli was told the officer in charge of the investigation into the assault on 17 August 2024 was on rest days, early and night shifts - and there was a bank holiday weekend - so "demand on policing would have been high".It states the matter was "not so serious" for others to deal with it in the officer's force told Ms Kohli it believed the decisions made were "appropriate".She said: "How is that a response to not go out... to have words with these boys or arrest them?" Ms Kohli said it was only when she was given the report, which has not been made public, that she was made aware of the delay and sought further information from added: "I'm disappointed with not just Leicestershire Police, but I'm also disappointed with the IOPC."It worries me that the IOPC didn't ask for that information."The report concluded any action, or lack of action by police, did not cause or contribute to Mr Kohli's death. Ms Kohli disagrees."It comes down to the delays... to take the required action," she said."I think my dad would still be here. There's a possibility that my dad would still be here and that's what makes me angry."Your report is constantly saying there was nothing that Leicestershire Police could have done. There's a lot that they could have done, but they chose unfortunately not to."Leicestershire Police need to hold some accountability." Ch Supt Jonathan Starbuck, of Leicestershire Police, said the force recognised the concerns raised by Ms Kohli regarding anti-social behaviour in the Franklin Park area during the summer of added: "We continue to monitor the area of Franklin Park and have engaged with the community through a local survey, drop-in centres, engagement with local schools, youth work and proactive policing patrols."A spokesperson for the IOPC said it had reviewed Leicestershire Police's report into the said: "We agreed with their finding that police officers did proactively investigate matters reported to them and there was nothing to indicate any officers or police staff committed a criminal offence or behaved in a manner justifying disciplinary proceedings."And we agreed with learning identified by the force in respect of accurately recording and tagging incidents of anti-social behaviour, thus ensuring incidents can be dealt with appropriately and to support the long-term management and deterrence of ASB."The sentence given to the boy, who was convicted of Mr Kohli's manslaughter, is set to be Attorney General's Office has referred the case under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme.A bid to have the boy's sentence increased is due to be heard at the Court of Appeal on Wednesday.
Telegraph
04-07-2025
- Telegraph
Boy's sentence for killing 80-year-old dog walker to be reviewed
The sentence handed to a teenage boy convicted of killing an 80-year-old man as he walked his dog will be reviewed by the Court of Appeal. Bhim Sen Kohli called out for help as he was attacked, slapped in the face with a shoe and racially abused in Franklin Park in Braunstone Town, near Leicester, on Sept 1 last year. He died the next day with a spinal cord injury and fractured ribs. Last month, Mr Justice Turner sentenced a boy aged 15, who had punched and kicked Mr Kohli, to seven years in custody, and a 13-year-old girl, who encouraged the attack by filming parts of it while laughing, to a three-year youth rehabilitation order. Both children, who cannot be named because of their age, denied their crimes but were convicted by a jury at Leicester Crown Court. A spokesman for the Attorney General's Office said the case would be reviewed under the unduly lenient sentence scheme. The spokesman said: 'The Solicitor General, Lucy Rigby KC MP, was appalled by this violent, cowardly attack on an innocent man. She wishes to express her deepest sympathies to Bhim Kohli's friends and family at this difficult time. 'After undertaking a detailed review of the case, the Solicitor General concluded the sentence of the 15-year-old boy could be referred to the Court of Appeal. The court will determine if the sentence is increased or not.' Mr Kohli's daughter Susan spoke of feeling 'angry and disappointed', adding that she believed the sentences did not 'reflect the severity of the crime they committed'.
BBC News
21-06-2025
- BBC News
Bhim Kohli death: 'Dad's killing won't drive us from our home'
"Why should we be pushed out? Why should we allow these two children to push us out of where my dad once loved, where we love?"The words of Susan Kohli, whose 80-year-old father Bhim Kohli died after being racially abused and brutally attacked at a park just yards from the family home in Braunstone, Leicestershire.A 15-year-old boy and 13-year-old girl were both found guilty of Mr Kohli's manslaughter and were sentenced earlier this to the BBC, Mrs Kohli admitted she had discussed with her mother the idea of moving away from the area - but questioned why it should be them that has to leave their community. The boy was sentenced to seven years in custody while the girl was given a three-year youth rehabilitation order and made subject to a six-month curfew, which Mrs Kohli said was "unanswerable"."In the last nine months, there has been a lot of talk between me and my mum because the incident happened literally on our doorstep," she said."So whenever you walk out the door, it's a constant reminder of what happened to dad."We've had these discussions about do we stay? Do we go?"The attack on Mr Kohli happened as he walked his dog, Rocky, in Franklin Park on 1 September last year. He died a day later in boy racially abused Mr Kohli before slapping him in the face with a slider shoe, while the girl encouraged the assault and laughed as she filmed it on her can be named because of their ages. Mrs Kohli said her neighbours had been "amazing" and "so supportive" in the difficult months since."And that's where we feel, will we get the same neighbours when you move away?" she said."It's the people that's keeping us there. It's the people and it's the memories."It is just the fact that all of my dad's memories are there."They will always be in our heart." Despite this, Mrs Kohli feels there are questions to be answered in their community following her father's this month it was revealed that Mr Kohli had spoken to police just two weeks before his death after seeing another Asian man being assaulted by two white boys, who threw a large rock at Kohli added: "We need to call out whenever these issues are happening. We need to face it. And if we don't, it is just going to continue."Leicestershire Police said "organisational learning" to improve logging anti-social behaviour had been force added it had undertaken an investigation, reviewed by the Independent Office for Police Conduct, which did not identify any "misconduct or missed opportunities which could have prevented Mr Kohli's death".
News.com.au
21-06-2025
- News.com.au
Grandfather's eerie last moments before horror murder caught on CCTV
It's the most disturbing crime I've seen since 1993 when two 11-year-olds abducted, tortured and killed toddler James Bulger – with sickening similarities. In April, a 14-year-old boy and 12-year-old girl were convicted of manslaughter. Earlier this month, they were given sentences so paltry, I felt my blood boil. The boy beat to death a retired factory worker and granddad, Bhim Kohli, 80, in an unprovoked attack, hurling racist abuse at him as he did. The girl filmed the assault, cheered him on and laughed in the dying pensioner's face. Later, both bragged about it. He received seven years in jail. She wasn't jailed at all – for fear it'd impact her 'education and mental health.' She received a three-year rehabilitation order, a six-month curfew, and community service. They remain anonymous. A judge ruled last month their welfare outweighed the public interest in open justice and unrestricted reporting. Outside court late last week, Bhim's daughter Susan Kohli choked back tears as she read the family's statement. 'We feel anger and disgust towards the teenagers who took dad away from us. They humiliated him, an 80 year-old-man, assaulted him, filmed it and laughed at him.' Referring to their sentences and anonymity, she said: 'They have taken a life – and as a result our lives have been changed forever. When they're released they still have their full lives ahead of them. They can rebuild their lives. We can't.' How on earth could this happen? When I read the details, a chill ran through me. Then I saw where it happened: Leicester. I lived and worked there as a council-funded youth worker. I know one of the key ways in which this horror might've been prevented. Multiple grim factors coalesced to cause this: toxic teen phone culture, a desire for online 'fame', male violence, government cuts, policing failures and a breakdown of a famous multicultural society which recent politicians have savaged as 'woke,' leading to the normalisation of disgusting racist attacks. Trigger warning: the details I'll share now are distressing. But they're important to understand how a once-great multicultural society, in a city I was proud to call home, can break down to the point something unthinkable like this occurs. A 'very mild, gentle man' who loved his family and dog Bhim Kohli loved gardening in his small allotment. His neighbour, Marie Chatterton, described him as 'very mild and gentle.' His grandson, Simranjit Kohli, said 'My granddad is the main reason I am who I am. Now we'll never get to see if he is proud.' He was metres from his home, walking his beloved dog, Rocky, in a nearby park. The last words he heard as he cowered on his knees and his distraught dog watched helplessly were those of vile racist taunts, abuse, and laughter. When his daughter found him lying on the ground in agony, he told her his attackers had called him a 'P***' (a hateful racist slur) during the attack. Detective Chief Inspector Mark Sinski called the case one of the most shocking of his career. The boy, he said, had a thirst for social media notoriety. Two weeks earlier, Bhim had intervened when two white boys aged 12 and 13 racially abused a man of colour near the same park. They threw a rock and a fence post at him and shouted 'go back to your village.' Bhim, his daughter, and a neighbour reported it. That man, who remains anonymous, last week said: 'If police had increased patrols after that, maybe Bhim would still be alive.' Bhim's daughter Susan echoed these sentiments. He added that he was shocked by 'this level of anger and vitriol … the racist language, the violence … from such a young age group'. But police deterring the act is a Band-Aid – we need to address the root cause. We need to look at a deeper rot in a city that once rightly boasted itself as Britain's most successful multicultural city. Elderly man suffers broken neck, three broken ribs In court, we learned the boy, who 'revelled in his hard, violent reputation' didn't know Bhim. He 'wanted to impress' his friend. She'd pointed Bhim out, encouraged the attack, and filmed it. In the weeks previously, she'd bullied and harassed Bhim; she'd thrown apples at him. She also filmed another Asian man being racially abused and mocked. She had a 'grudge' against Bhim because of an earlier verbal altercation involving a friend. He'd told them to get off his neighbour's garage roof. In response, stones were thrown at him, he was spat at and was racially abused by the children. Her phone contained a photo of Bhim taken a week before the attack. She'd deliberately arrived at the park at the time she knew he walked his dog. 'This girl was obsessed with violence – she filmed and encouraged it,' said DCI Sinski. 'Her actions were cynical and calculated.' When arrested, she was 'not in any way intimidated by the gravity of the charge.' He added: 'She was very sure of herself … and unnecessarily cocky and confident during her evidence.' The boy wore a balaclava and knocked Bhim to the ground then hit him with his shoe as he was trying to get up. The judge said he was 'showing off' as he knew he was being filmed. He slapped him and called him a racial slur so hateful, British newspapers won't print it. He stomped on Bhim so forcefully, it broke his neck. As the 80-year-old lay on the ground defenceless and in agony, then motionless, the teen repeatedly kicked him so hard, he broke three of his ribs as the girl filmed, laughed and later bragged. When police reviewed her phone, they found numerous clips of her filming and encouraging attacks. Bhim's daughter described finding her father. 'He screamed, 'My neck, my neck.' I'd never heard him in that kind of pain before.' He died the following day in hospital. 'Lock up the council workers who let this happen' One reader commented: 'Also lock up the police and council who failed to deal with the anti-social behaviour going on for ages.' I previously worked for Leicestershire County Council as a youth worker, helping kids just like Bhim's attackers. I loved Leicester, Britain's first city where white people were a minority. It's home to a large Indian and Pakistani community. We celebrated Diwali, revelled in the delicious food, and proved multiculturalism worked. We ran programs for disadvantaged kids to keep them out of trouble and off the streets – including those expelled, or at risk of arrest. It was a haven for self-expression, but we also taught them respect. My male manager and I were particularly keen to act as positive role models for the boys who came from complex backgrounds. That centre was demolished in 2012 due to Tory austerity. Between 2010 and 2023, the Conservatives closed over 1,200 youth centres and more than a third of children's centres. Meanwhile, figures like Nigel Farage – Britain's Pauline Hanson – have become alarming political icons for Britain's youth. Farage has 1.3 million TikTok followers, more than all other MPs combined. He spews anti-Immigration rhetoric. The death of 80-year-old Bhim Kohli in Leicestershire only makes three of today’s front pages. As we reported yesterday, the Telegraph writes that Mr Kohli had previously complained to police about anti-social behaviour by young kids where he lived. — Darshna Soni (@darshnasoni) September 4, 2024 Bhim was killed just a month after the UK race riots. Misinformation claimed the Southport stabbing suspect was an immigrant. He wasn't. Far-right activist Tommy Robinson led the lie – and shortly afterwards, asylum hotels were set on fire. My old youth centre promoted harmony and diversity. Many like it are gone – bulldozed, not just closed. Adolescence The chilling parallels to Netflix's Adolescence are undeniable. The show prompted UK PM Keir Starmer to meet its creators. Writer Jack Thorne called for smartphone bans in schools and a digital age of consent, naming Australia's world-leading example as one the UK should follow. In the show, 13-year-old Jamie kills a girl after being radicalised online. He lies, denies responsibility, then shows threadbare remorse. So did this boy. He falsely claimed Bhim had a knife. Then said the pensioner just 'fell.' Eventually, he admitted to the killing, saying he 'just needed to get his anger out.' The judge called his remorse 'diluted,' adding: 'You say it wasn't your fault. The sooner you realise otherwise, the better.' In leaked Snapchats after the attack, he wrote: 'Feds know it's me,' with a laughing emoji. He bragged about his 'punching power.' How this could've been avoided Could a youth centre have kept this violent boy off the streets and out of trouble? Maybe not. Could a youth phone ban have stopped the desire for viral infamy? Maybe not. Could more visible policing following reports of racist hate incidents have made a difference? Maybe not. Could braver political leadership on multiculturalism have countered anti-immigration propaganda? Maybe not. But if all of these things had been in place, as was perfectly possible? A beloved, hardworking granddad might still be alive today. He might not have spent his final moments in agony, being ridiculed and facing the ugliest collapse of the society he loved – at the hands of children.
