Nadine Osman
A man racially abused an 81-year-old pensioner as he walked to a mosque in the early hours of August 10, before launching a vicious attack with his friend, a court has heard.
Dale Jones, 29, flew into a “raging fury” following a day and evening of drinking and taking drugs and accused Mushin Ahmed of being a “groomer”, Sheffield Crown Court heard on February 9.
Jones and Damien Hunt, 29, of Doncaster Road, Rotherham, punched, kicked and stamped on Ahmed as he made his way to prayers at the mosque in Rotherham, the jury was told.
Andrew Robertson QC, prosecuting, said: “Since his retirement (Mr Ahmed) had been a regular attendee at the mosque. He never made it to the mosque. On his way there, just after 3 am, he was attacked and murdered.”
Robertson said Jones had become agitated, violent and aggressive due to an issue concerning his partner’s son’s father.
He had left the home he shared with his partner on Norwood Street, Rotherham, at 10 am the previous morning and spent the day and night drinking Sambuca and Southern Comfort, and taking cocaine and diazepam, the court heard.
Robertson said: “He had got himself into a raging fury. A rage fuelled by drugs and alcohol.”A short time before the fatal attack, Jones racially abused an Asian taxi driver, the jury was told.
Around 10 minutes later, Ahmed emerged on to Doncaster Road, where Jones was with Hunt and brothers Kieran and Shane Rice. Robertson said: “Jones immediately accused him of being a groomer. No doubt his word for paedophile and no doubt an accusation made by Jones for no better reason than Mr Ahmed was Asian.”
The prosecutor said CCTV footage showed Jones and Hunt following Ahmed.
The Rice brothers said they then saw Jones punch and kick Ahmed in the head, the court heard.
Robertson said Jones saw a friend around an hour after the attack.When the friend asked how he was, he replied: “It’s a good job you’re not a Paki.” The barrister said: “A good indication of what motivated him to attack Mr Ahmed and a good indicator of how he felt about it.”
Ahmed was found by a passer-by two hours after the attack and was taken to a hospital, where he died 11 days later, on August 21.Ahmed suffered extensive head and facial injuries and had the imprint of a trainer across the front of his face.
The imprint was believed to match that of the make of trainer worn by Jones on the night, and Hunt’s DNA was found on Ahmed’s broken dentures, the court heard. Both men deny murder.
