Man bricked to death for making crude and sexual comments to two young girls

Two teenagers murdered a 24-year-old man who made ‘crude’ comments to a pair of girls at a skate park.

Jack Edwards made offensive remarks to the teenage girls, ‘propositioning’ them and making ‘sexual remarks’, a court heard.

One of them called a 13-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, and he returned to the park with two other males in Nottingham.

Accomplice Kai Howitt, 19, had also heard about the remarks and arrived soon after, wearing a hood and mask.

There was a confrontation and Jack, who was 6ft 8ins, retreated to another part of the park where he took off his shirt and bag.

He then returned to the group, goading them and ‘flexing his muscles’. They pelted him with objects including a brick that missed him and broke in two on the ground.

The 13-year-old picked up the fragments, handing one to Howitt while walking towards Jack who was now trying to back away.

They then threw them at the victim at close range, hitting him at the same time and with some force.

Jack, who had been released from prison on the day of the incident, suffered a catastrophic brain injury and died two days later.

Jurors heard the 13-year-old bragged about the murder afterwards and Googled how long jail sentences for ‘bricking’ someone are.

Howitt was identified when he took his face coverings off while on a tram and he was traced to his home.

After a friend texted him ‘Kai bricked that yute,’ he replied: ‘I did it as well.’

Another friend referred to him as ‘little murder’, to which he responded with a laughing emoji.

In another message, a friend said: ‘Bruv what you doing hitting someone wid a brick fam u man are going jail.’

In a statement released at the time of the murder, Mr Edwards’ family said they were devastated by his loss: ‘We are still trying to process what has happened and comprehend the fact that Jack is no longer with us.

‘He was only 24 years old. It is difficult for us to put into words the emotions we are feeling right now but we are devastated.

‘He was much-loved, and leaves behind a mum, a dad, a brother, a sister and many other family and friends.’

They will both be sentenced on July 15.

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