Man 'mercilessly' beaten to death

A man was "mercilessly" beaten to death by a gang armed with belts in London's West End, the Old Bailey has heard.

The youths knocked Bobby Ilham, 24, to the ground before kicking and stamping on his head until he could no longer defend himself, prosecutors said.

Mr Ilham died near Leicester Square on 1 May 2005.

Rashid Tabali and Hassan Al-Soltan, both from west London, and Ahmad Alkhateeb and Mishal Al-Fahad, both of north London, deny murder.

Mr Tabali of East Acton, Mr Al-Soltan of Paddington, Mr Alkhateeb of Harlesden, and Mr Al-Fahad of Islington, are aged 20,22,19 and 24 respectively.

The men who ended his life beat him until he could no longer defend himself Jeremy Donne QC, prosecuting

Mr Ilham, who lived with his family in New Malden, south-west London, was out with friends when he was attacked.

Jeremy Donne QC, said: "The men who ended his life beat him until he could no longer defend himself.

His head was "kicked and stamped on... repeatedly until he was a bloody mess and any possibility of his surviving had gone".

"He suffered a very public and brutal death," said Mr Donne.

The prosecution said witnesses described the attack as "quite merciless" and that belts had been used by some of the group.

Mr Ilham worked as an assistant bank manager in Sutton, south-west London.