United Kingdom / Violence Against Homosexuals

"Clockwork Orange" Killers Beat Homosexual to Death
The Telegraph, April 19, 2010
"Two teenage girls kicked a gay man to death as he lay unconscious in Trafalgar Square in a shocking killing likened to a scene from the movie Clockwork Orange, the Old Bailey heard. Ruby Thomas and Rachel Burke, both 18, stamped on Ian Baynham's chest and kicked him in the head after their friend Joel Alexander, 19, punched him to the ground, jurors heard. As the dying man lay bleeding on the ground under a hail of kicks, he began fitting from the brain damage to his fractured skull. When Mr. Baynham's friend stepped in to save the dying man, Burke attacked him too, it was said. The three killers fled the scene and Mr. Baynham was rushed to hospital but he never woke up again and died 18 eighteen days later. 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: ... '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. He was deeply in distress from the blow. 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. Mr. Baynham 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.' Mr. Baynham was left with brain damage and rushed to the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel, east London where in died on October 13. [...]"