A man who beat to death a Muslim grandfather in a racist attack as he went to morning prayers has been found guilty of his murder.
Dale Jones, 30, called the 81-year-old a “groomer” before he launched a ferocious assault on the married father-of-four in Rotherham.
He and his friend Damien Hunt 30, are alleged to have punched, kicked and stamped on Mushin Ahmed as they walked together “stride for stride almost like soldiers,” according to the prosecution.
A jury at Sheffield Crown Court found Jones guilty of murder and they are still deliberating on whether Hunt is guilty of the same offence.
Minutes after the attack Jones, 30, bumped into a friend and said: “Eh up Mickey, its a good job tha’s not a P***.”
Jones and Hunt, 30, blamed each other for the assault during a two-week trial at Sheffield Crown Court.
Mr Ahmed, who had 12 grandchildren and was described by his wife Margaret as “quiet, mild-mannered and gentle,” was left with fractures to his eye sockets, jaw and nose.
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Prosecutor Andrew Robertson QC told the court: “Jones accused him of being a groomer, no doubt his word for paedophile and no doubt an accusation made for no better reason than Mr Ahmed was Asian.
“He landed punches and kicks on his victim. Mr Ahmed suffered many blows, many kicks and stamps to the face and our case is that Hunt joined in.”
Jones was the main protagonist having got himself into a ‘raging fury’ fuelled by drugs and alcohol on an all-day binge. Hunt later joined him in taking cocaine and spirits before the attack.
Jones had earlier threatened to kill his girlfriend’s ex-partner and shouted racist abuse at an Asian taxi driver who pulled up in the street saying : “I will pull your f****** black head off.”
