Lichfield dad-of-five died after head "literally kicked in" court told
A father-of-five died after his head was "literally kicked in" by two drunken young men in Staffordshire, a court has heard.
Michael Eccles, 43, died on January 26 this year, a day after sustaining serious injuries in a street attack just metres from his front door in Lichfield.
Carl Keatley, 20, of Greencroft, Lichfield, and a 16-year-old boy from Lichfield who cannot be identified, deny murder. A third defendant, the 55-year-old father of the 16-year-old, has pleaded not guilty to perverting the course of justice. He is accused of washing blood from his son and putting his clothes in the washing machine following the alleged attack.
Gareth Evans, QC, prosecuting, told jurors at Birmingham Crown Court Mr Eccles was "punched and kicked and stamped upon" by Keatley and the youth, who was 15 years old at the time.
He said the defendants, who were "clearly intent on causing trouble", had chased Mr Eccles as he made his way home from a Costcutter store near his home in the Dimbles area of the city on the evening of January 25, having bought a bottle of wine and some milk.
As Mr Eccles left the shop with his purchases he was involved in an exchange with Keatley and the youth and then walked away, Mr Evans said. He added: "As he (Mr Eccles) walked away, Carl Keatley said 'Come on, come on, let's follow him', or words to that effect, and Carl Keatley rode off on his cycle."
The prosecutor said a passing motorist saw Keatley and the teenage boy "pushing, barging, and intimidating" Mr Eccles. As the male driver looked in his rear view mirror he saw the youngest defendant "deliver a football-like kick to the head of Mr Eccles", Mr Evans said.
The court heard Mr Eccles had no pulse when paramedics arrived at the scene. He was resuscitated but later suffered a heart attack and irreversible brain damage and was pronounced dead the next day.
The prosecutor told the court the teenager's mother called police to tell them she believed her son had attacked a man. She also told her husband who, the crown alleges, tried to help his son "cover up" the crime. Mr Evans told the court when police arrived to arrest the teenager his clothes and trainers were already in the washing machine.
When interviewed by police the teenager said he had no memory of the incident, as he was too drunk, the prosecutor said. Mr Evans said a defence that he was too drunk to form the requisite intention to murder Mr Eccles was "nonsense", adding: "He concentrated his kicks and stamps on vulnerable areas of Mr Eccles's body, it wasn't by accident that his head was literally kicked in."
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