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| Thursday, 27 January 2005 |
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Two British racists who fatally beat a slightly-built Sri Lankan man in what was described as a "vicious and unprovoked attack" were jailed for life on Tuesday. James Rossiter, 22, and Tony Pile, 19, were ordered to serve a minimum of 25 years for murdering Bapishankar Kathirgamanathan in Ashford, Kent, southern England, in April last year. The trial at Maidstone Crown Court heard that Kathirgamanathan, who was known as Sebastian, was walking across a footbridge with a friend when the British men, who had been drinking heavily, shouted racist abuse before attacking him. "This was a brutal, vicious and unprovoked attack which was clearly racially motivated," prosecutor Anthony Haycroft told the jury earlier in the trial. "Rossiter and Pile punched Sebastian in the head before kicking him to the ground, and not content with that they continued to kick him in the body and around the head until he had stopped moving. "They then stamped on his head." The 24-year-old chef, who weighed only nine stone, died in hospital two weeks after the attack, which took place in daylight. Both defendants admitted attacking the Sri Lankan but claimed he had only been struck a few times, the court heard. Rossiter, who has tattoos including a bulldog marked "England" and a "Made in England" sign, told police he had kicked Kathirgamanathan, but not "as hard as if you were scoring a goal for England". AFP |
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