A 27 year-old man and 14 year-old boy, whose night of heavy drinking ended with the pair kicking a stranger to death in an East London park – inflicting multiple face fractures in a ferocious frenzy – have been locked up.
Bizarrely the killers had only met that night and for no known reason launched their brutal attack on the 60 year-old victim – with the teen leaving his shoe imprint on the stranger’s face.
Carpenter Mantas Kraucevicius, of Sutton Court Road, Plaistow, was jailed for seven years at the Old Bailey for the manslaughter of Eric Rider (pic. top) in nearby Beaumont Road, in the early hours of June 27, last year.
The teen, now aged 15, from Canning Town received four years for the same offence.
Investigating officer Detective Inspector Robert Pack, of the Homicide and Serious Crime Command, said: "Despite one of the defendants being only aged 14, the pair had been out drinking all night and came across the victim in a park.
"They approached a vulnerable individual on the pretext of asking for a cigarette, albeit they already had cigarettes between them and while Mr Rider was sitting on a bench, Kraucevicius (pic. bottom) kicked him in the face.
"After a brief struggle, Mr Rider remained on the ground where he was further kicked in the chest and head by Kraucevicius before being kicked and stamped on by the 14-year-old.
"The pair carried out a savage, sustained and senseless attack on a man who was simply minding his own business.
“Such was the force of the attack that an impression of the sole of the 14-year-old's shoe was found on Mr Rider's cheek.
“The jury heard from the pathologist that the severe head and facial injuries he received were more normally associated with a car accident or a fall head first from several storeys.
"After kicking and beating the victim to death, the pair calmly strolled away from the scene together without a second thought for their victim."
Police were called at about 07.30am on to reports of a man found unconscious and officers discovered Mr Rider, of New City Road Plaistow, suffering from head injuries.
He was pronounced dead at the scene shortly after 08.00hrs.
A post-mortem examination at East Ham Mortuary gave the cause of death as blunt forced trauma.
Mr Rider suffered fractures to his face and spine in the attack.
At 6:30am the defendants entered a nearby property in Prince Regent Lane where they were apprehended by the occupant and his friend.
The 14-year-old begged them not to call the police, saying he had "killed somebody down the road".
When quizzed by police the 14-year-old refused to answer any questions.
Kraucevicius said he and another boy had been involved in an incident and kicked someone two or three times in the park and both had been drinking and taking drugs.
Mr Rider's blood was later found on the trainers and trousers of both defendants.
Patricia Venton, Mr Rider's ex-partner, said:" The green where Eric died is the green where the children all played when they were young. Those happy memories are tainted with new ones that cause us all great pain.
"I hope our children can forgive and not carry the burden of hate. I hope our children and grandchildren will never suffer the pain like that of their parents and grandparents.
Grandparents should die from old age, not from the actions of two strangers who never gave Eric a chance."
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