Teenage girl "stamped on" dying man

A teenage girl from Three Oaks kicked and stamped on a gay man as he lay dying in a shocking killing the Old Bailey heard this week.

Rachel Burke, 18, of Maxfield Lane, and Ruby Thomas, 18, of Litchfield, Staffordshire, stamped on Ian Baynham's chest and kicked him in the head after their friend Joel Alexander, 19, from Surrey, punched him to the ground, jurors heard.

The horrific attack, which took place in London's Trafalgar Square last September, was likened to a cene from the movie A Clockwork Orange.

Burke denies a joint charge of manslaughter and violent disorder as well as a further charge.

As the dying 62-year-old man lay bleeding on the ground under a hail of kicks, he began fitting from the brain damage caused by his fractured skull.

When Mr Baynham's friend stepped in to save the dying man, Burke attacked him too, it was said.

Burke denies a joint charge of manslaughter and violent disorder as well as a further charge of actual bodily harm.

The trio fled the scene and Mr Baynham was rushed to hospital but he never woke up again and died 18 days later jurors heard.

Brian Altman, QC, prosecuting, had told jurors that Mr Baynham and Philip Brown were walking through Trafalgar Square on the evening of September 25 last year, 'minding their own business.'

The barrister explained: "The scene is Trafalgar Square at the very heart of London, one of this city's most famous open spaces, home to the National Gallery, Nelson's Column, the famous plinths and late that evening, a scene of despicable violence.

"One onlooer likened the level of violence to a scene from the film Clockwork Orange.

"What happened was an all too familiar and depressing tale of drunken, loutish behaviour. But what they did went far beyond mere anti-social conduct.

"Fuelled by copious amounts of alcohol, all three jointly participated in a violent attack on a defenceless man in public.

"Mr Baynham was openly homosexual and what led to his death began with Thomas hurling homophobic abuse at him and his friend Mr Brown. She called them "f***ing faggots."

"Mr Baynham grabbed and slapped her. Alexander intervened and lunged at him, punching him in the face. He fell to the ground.

"It is certain that the force of the punch was such as to render him unconscious. His head hit the pavement and there was nothing to break his fall. The impact was so heavy that he suffered severe brain damage from which ultimately he was to die.

"However, that did not suffice. There's evidence that the females then began putting the boot into Mr Baynham as he lay unconscious on his back.

"Shocked onlookers saw repeated stamping on his chest and forceful kicks to the head.

'He began making snoring noises, evidence of unconsciousness, and fitting on the pavement, signs of primary brain damage.

"'It was obvious that Mr Baynham was critically injured.. He had suffered a fractured skull and bleeding on the brain."

When Mr Brown stepped in to save his dying friend, Burke turned on him, the court was told.

The QC explained: "He was assaulted by Burke when he tried to prevent her from escaping from the main incident. She punched him several times in the face."

Witness Jamie Devlin, who was also with the group, told the court he had heard the victim tell one of the girls: 'No, I don't want to sleep with you love.'

'I saw Ruby kick the victim. I would say it was quite hard. He blocked it with his hand. He then moved away, he moved back,' the 18-year-old said.

When Mr Baynham's friend Philip Brown stepped in Thomas tried to kick him in the genitals.

I saw the victim grab Rachel by the hair and slap her across the face. It was really hard,' said Mr Devlin.

Mr Devlin said Burke shouted: 'F** you' as she fell on her backside.

'That was when Joel hit him around the face. It was without any effort really. It didn't look very hard to be honest.'

Mr Devlin said he heard a 'slapping sound' as the victim collapsed.

"He fell to the ground head first. His legs were spread out and his palms were down on the floor."

"He was unconscious. I saw Ruby stamp on his stomach, twice. I would say it was quite hard force. I ran over to pull her away.

"She walked around to the right side of him and kicked him in the side of the head twice."

The witness said he saw the victim's head move with the force of the impact.

"I saw blood coming from his earhole and his mouth. There was quite a lot."

Mr Devlin said he managed to pull the struggling teenager away.

He later spoke to Burke on Facebook and she told him she could not remember what had happened.

After seeing the media appeals for information Mr Devlin reported the teenagers to the police.

The court has heard the girls had goaded Mr Baynham about his sexuality after they saw him with Mr Brown and called him a 'faggot.'

Mr Baynham's friend Philip Brown said the victim fell 'like a corpse' when Alexander punched him.

Mr Brown had been out drinking with Mr Baynham and said they were going to another pub together when they passed the two girls and Alexander sitting on a wall.

"At no stage were we holding hands,'" Mr Brown said.

"A female shouted the words 'f***ing faggots'.

"I believe she said something else but I could not understand what it was.

"I said just ignore it, walk on by.'

But the victim turned to confront the girl.

"here were words exchanged of which I could not understand. There was kicking between both parties. One female was kicking Mr Baynham,' Mr Brown said.

'I recall Ian grabbed the hair of the female who kicked him. It was an attempt to prevent him being kicked further I believe.'

Mr Brown said Alexander then dashed past him.

A young man ran around me. He punched Mr Baynham in the head area. I didn't see the actual blow itself. It was very fast.

'I heard the noise. It was like a crunching noise.

He was out cold and he fall backwards in a prone position.'

Mr Brown said he heard 'a cracking noise' as his friend's skull hit the pavement.

He fell like a corpse,' Mr Brown added.

Thbe court later heard that Ruby Thomas had kicked the victim's head so hard she stained her ballet pumps with blood. Her handbag was also smeared with Mr Baynham's blood.

Witnesses told the police both girls were stamping on Mr Baynham 'with great gusto,' Mr Altman said.