Halloween thugs ‘kicked man to death’ in street
A man was kicked to death in the street by a gang of thugs who became "senselessly aggressive" after snatching his girlfriend's Halloween hat and wig, an Old Bailey jury heard today.
IT expert Ben Gardner, 30, was punched to the ground, where he lay helpless as one of three men kicked his head "as if taking a penalty".
His girlfriend, Allanna Devine, 28, was also punched as the attackers ran off, the court heard. Three men, Daniel Ransom, 21, Ross Collender, 21, and Jordan Dixon, 18, all of Carshalton, Surrey, deny murder.
Mr Gardner had been to a club with Miss Devine to celebrate her birthday on October 31 last year.
In the early hours of the morning, a group of men snatched a pirate's hat and black wig she was wearing.
Brian Altman QC, prosecuting, said she did not react but later, as the couple approached her home around the corner, they saw three of the group near a witch's hat on the ground, which had been discarded by a Halloween reveller. Miss Devine asked for her own hat back but was verbally abused, said Mr Altman.
He said: "As Miss Devine went to pick up a black witch's hat ... Dixon booted it away. Ransom kicked and stamped on it, and in a quite provocative and contemptuous act, spat in it and threw it at her."
Collender "suddenly and unexpectedly" punched Mr Gardner on the left side of the face, Mr Altman said. It was alleged that Dixon also punched him and that, as he lay in the road, Ransom then kicked an "utterly defenceless" Mr Gardner's head — described by witnesses as being like someone taking a penalty kick. The case continues.
