The boy accused of murdering Bhim Kohli later messaged a friend to say he "didn't mean to batter" the pensioner according to messages seized by police. The 15-year-old, who later messaged to say he "regrets it now", said it was "one hit" before his "anger turned in".
The jury at Leicester Crown Court was told about the aftermath of the alleged attack in Franklin Park, Braunstone Town, on Sunday, September 1 last year. The boy, who is on trial with a 13-year-old girl who is charged with the manslaughter of Mr Kohli, spoke to several friends after the incident.
Those friends then spoke to Leicestershire Police, who were also able to access various messages. During the first day of the trial on Tuesday (February 25) prosecutor Harpreet Sandhu KC told the jury the boy made up false excuses for why he attacked Mr Kohli.
READ MORE: Bhim Kohli trial shown footage of alleged fatal park attack
Mr Sandhu said: "[The defendants] knew what they had done and they had to think of a way to justify the violence that had been used by [the boy] and encouraged by [the girl]." He said one account involved Mr Kohli pulling a knife on the girl and another involved Mr Kohli hitting a girl.
A friend of the accused girl told Leicestershire Police: "Apparently the old man pulled a knife and got in her face and she slapped him."
A friend of the boy told officers: "He said he had seen a girl getting hit in Franklin Park by Mr Kohli and he ran over to Mr Kohli and started punching and kicking him. [The boy] said he could not stop kicking Mr Kohli."
The 15-year-old boy also spoke to the mother of one of his friends and is alleged to have told her: "I've killed an 80-year-old man or put him in intensive care."
Mr Kohli died in hospital from neck injuries on Monday, September 2 - one day after the alleged attack . That evening, the boy was arrested and interviewed. He refused to answer detectives' questions but his solicitor provided them with a prepared statement.
The statement said: "I went to Franklin Park, Braunstone, on September 1 to chill. We had been in the park about 10 minutes when [a female witness] told me there was a man in the park who had pulled out a knife on one of her friends.
"She said it was a flick knife. I went to ask him if he had a knife - it's not right to have a knife in a park where there are children. He completely ignored me."
He claimed Mr Kohli clenched his fists then went to attack him. He said: "He went to slap me with his arm coming up towards my face on the left side. I ducked and he missed me. I hit his upper arm and turned and walked away."
He claimed Mr Kohli then went to attack the girl defendant. His statement said: "The male was walking quickly towards her. As I watched he raised his arm as if he was going to punch her to her face. I was worried for [the girl].
"I ran over and pushed him to the floor so he did not hit [the girl]. As I ran with my hands out to push him I fell too. My head landed on his rib cage."
Mr Sandhu said the boy's account did not explain the clip the jury had already seen showing the boy hitting Mr Kohli in the face with his shoe while Mr Kohli was on his knees in the park. Mr Sandhu added that no knife was ever recovered from the park.
The boy's account of what happened concluded: "I deeply regret the incident and was horrified to hear he had died. I would like to express my sadness to his family and friends."
The boy and the girl, who cannot be named due to their ages, deny the charges against them. The trial continues.
