Teenage boxer's alleged attack left man dying (From The Argus)

Teenage boxer's alleged attack left man dying in Eastbourne

1:40pm Wednesday 16th January 2013 in News By Emily Walker, Chief Reporter

Two teenagers punched and kicked an unsuspecting man and then left him dying in a pool of blood, a court was told.

A gang of teenagers taunted Christopher Poole, 46, when he walked his dogs to his local convenience store.

Lewes Crown Court was told yesterday that Shane Noble, 19, ran towards Mr Poole and punched him to the ground when he was not looking during the incident on August 16 last year.

The jury was told a 15-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, then hit Mr Poole from behind before Noble kicked their victim in the head as he lay on the ground outside the Premier Convenience store in Hydenye, Eastbourne.

Noble – who trained as a boxer and had the nickname One Bang – is then said to have shouted at the unconscious Mr Poole: “We don’t get banged. You get banged” before the two teenagers left him to die.

Mr Poole never regained consciousness. He was taken to Eastbourne District General Hospital and then the Hurstwood Park Neurosciences Centre in Haywards Heath where he died the following morning.

Matthew Farmer, prosecuting, said Mr Poole had got into a row with the 15-year-old about his dogs.

He said another boy then shouted to Noble, who was in one of the flats above the shops, and the 19-year-old ran over and punched Mr Poole to the ground.

Mr Farmer said: “Mr Poole managed to walk to the fence to tie up the dogs and then faced his attacker, however the 15-year-old then joined in Noble’s attack.

“He punched Christopher Poole. The punch caused him to fall over again. He was trying to get up when Shane Noble ran over, swung his leg back and kicked him in the left side of the face.

“It was a full force kick. One witness described it as a horrible sound ‘like kicking a half blown up football as hard as you can’.

“There can be no justification or excuse for the attack. Mr Poole was just popping to the shops with his two dogs when he was abused and attacked by these two.”

Noble, of no fixed address, and the 15- year-old from Eastbourne deny murder. The trial continues.