A dog walker was beaten to death after an “altercation” in a park with a group of schoolchildren, locals have claimed.
The 36-year-old, named by police as John Hackett, was allegedly “choke slammed” to the ground following a confrontation with the teenagers over his dog’s mess, neighbours said.
Three 15 year-olds – two boys and a girl – arrested on suspicion of murder over the incident, which took place in a park in Nuneaton, Warwickshire, remain in police custody.
The neighbour claimed two girls allegedly shouted at Mr Hackett, who was out walking his dog, and told him to clean up mess his pet had left behind.
The local said: “It appears he refused to pick up his dog poo and be told what to do by a couple of kids. They were angry and shouting at him and suddenly it all kicked off.”
The woman, who declined to be named, continued: “A group of boys who had been hanging out with the girls at the rec after school started wading in and beating him up.”
Victim ‘helped care for his mum’
A video of the attack was posted on social media but it is now understood to have been taken down.
A local bar worker, who had seen the footage, said it was “disgusting” and the man had “been pleading and screaming for them to stop”.
Another neighbour who knew the victim for 20 years said: “The word going round is that the girls were telling him off for not picking it up [the mess]. He may or may not have done so but he often let his dogs off the lead at the gate and run around the park and do their bit.”
He added: “He helped care for his mum, she’ll be devastated without him and don’t know how she’ll manage. I want to know she’s OK but she’s not been at home and police at the cordon won’t tell me anything.”
Warwickshire Police said an altercation had broken out at the Snow Hill Recreation Ground in Nuneaton, Warwickshire at around 6.15pm on Tuesday.
Police urged witnesses, or people with footage of any form, to come forward.
Warwickshire Police Detective Inspector Collette O’Keefe said: “Though we believe this to be an isolated incident, with no threat to the wider public, residents can expect to see a heightened police presence in the area for their reassurance.
“We are aware there is footage circulating of the altercation on social media and we would ask people not to share it while we continue our ongoing investigation to work out the circumstances behind this man’s death.”
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