A baby faced schoolboy who slapped an 80-year-old dog walker with a slider shoe as he cowered on the ground before fatally punching and kicking him in a racist assault, has been convicted of the pensioner’s manslaughter. The teen thug was aged just 14 when he donned a balaclava and viciously attacked retired factory owner Bhim Kohli as he walked his dog Rocky in a park next to his home in September last year.

The teen was acquitted of murder by a jury at Leicester Crown Court on Tuesday but found guilty of the lesser charge. A girl aged 12 who filmed part of the deadly attack and could be heard laughing in the video as the pensioner cowered on his knees, was also found guilty of manslaughter after prosecutors said she “encouraged the violence”. The pair, now aged 15 and 13, showed no emotion as the verdicts were handed down after the jury deliberated for more than six hours.

Relatives of the killers broke down crying as the verdicts were passed.

The boy meanwhile leaned forward in the dock while the girl cried.

The teenagers will be sentenced next month when a judge will consider lifting their anonymity.

After the verdicts were returned, Mr Justice Turner further remanded the 15-year-old boy into custody and granted the female defendant bail. She hugged her mother as she was released.

Addressing the girl, Mr Justice Turner said: "I want to make it absolutely crystal clear that the fact that bail is being granted should not be taken as any indication as to the sentence when the time comes."

Mr Kohli was discovered lying in agony in Leicester’s Franklin Park- just yards from his home - by horrified neighbours and his son and daughter.

He had been racially abused and struck around the face with the plastic sandal as he cowered on his knees before being kicked and punched.

The pensioner was taken to hospital where he died the next day. A post-mortem examination revealed the cause of Mr Kohli's death to be a neck injury “causing trauma to the spinal cord” and he had also suffered broken ribs.

Harpreet Sandhu KC, prosecuting, told jurors how the young thug had used “gratuitous” and “intense violence” before leaving his victim for dead.

He said he had no reason to hit the “defenceless” elderly man who, because he was on the ground, was in a vulnerable position but his “instinct” was to use violence.

In a police interview she was asked if the video showing Mr Kohli being slapped with the shoe had given her enjoyment. She replied: “Not really but it was a bit funny at the time”.

The girl, who was dressed in black trousers and a black cardigan and was supported by her mother in court, showed no emotion as she was found guilty.

The boy, looked blankly at his mother in the public gallery as the verdicts were delivered

He had admitted “anger issues” but claimed he slapped Mr Kohli in the face with the shoe after they tussled over the shoe.

But the court heard the boy subsequently sent messages admitting to the attack including one which read: “I didn't mean to batter him.”

In reply to a message saying an 80-year-old had been 'smacked up' in the park, the boy wrote: “I did that. ...I didn't mean to batter him. It was one hit and then my anger turned in.”

Seconds before launching his attack the attack, the boy had taken a balaclava out of his Gucci bag and put it on “in preparation for violence” but told police he wore it “for fashion”.

Although the defendant had never met Mr Kohli, it emerged that he did actually know his family and had even been to their house as a little boy.

Explaining the connection, he said that his sister was taught to drive by Mr Kohli’s son and his mother and sister went to Mr Kohli’s wife's hair and nail services.

The court heard that after the attack he searched for news stories about it and then, ten seconds later, for Adele concert tickets.

When asked by one friend in a message if he was worried he replied with two laughing emojis and wrote “Nah, chilling bro”.

At 8.21pm on September 2, about 25 minutes before Kohli died, he sent a laughing emoji to friends and said: “Feds know it is me. Got my name and picture.”

Speaking after the case, Detective Chief Inspector Mark Sinski, of Leicestershire Police, said Mr Kohli was a “much-loved grandfather” who was “enjoying the simple things in life” such as spending time with his family, tending to his allotment and walking his dog.

He said: “(Mr Kohli) used to grow vegetables for his neighbours, and a lot of his neighbours used to call him ‘grandad’, both as a term of affection and as respect to the absolute gentleman he was.

“Clearly the fatal attack of an elderly man in a public park close to his home address by children has shocked the community and the family to the core. This should never have happened.

“Mr Kohli was a true family man. He was the centre of his family – a very beloved husband.

“His family have been absolutely devastated by his loss. He was in the last stage of his life, but very fit and healthy and had a long life ahead of him still.

“There’s been, from the boy, some superficial comment of remorse. I know (Mr Kohli’s) family’s position is that any remorse spoken isn’t true and it isn’t sincere.

“This is a family – a South Asian family – that have lived without racist incidents within their community for many, many years.

“It’s extremely distasteful – any sort of racist motivation, even in part. And tragic that children should have that motivation.

“It’s a no-win situation and it should never have happened.”