Killer 'pretended to help police search for boy': Court told Carl Kennedy, 3, beaten to death with golf club

(First Edition)

THE KILLER of a three-year-old boy pretended to help police look for him after his mother reported him missing, Birmingham Crown Court was told yesterday.

The severely beaten body of Carl Kennedy, of Willenhall, Coventry, was found in thick brambles near open parkland. He had been beaten to death with a golf club, the court was told, and the policeman who found him was so upset that he broke down and fell to his knees.

A 17-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, denies murdering Carl on land close to the council estate where they both lived in May last year.

The trial, which originally began on Tuesday, had to be abandoned when a juror fell asleep, forcing the judge, Mr Justice Kay, to call for a new jury which was sworn in yesterday.

He warned that he did not want the situation - which had cost the taxpayer pounds 5,000 - repeated. He told jurors: 'There is no mystery. We had an embarrassing situation when one of the jurors fell asleep. It was quite remarkable but there it is. I tell you this for two reasons, I don't want you speculating that something strange happened and because it is vitally important that you feel able to concentrate.

'If anybody starts to feel sleepy we will have a 10-minute break, and that is much better than the terrible situation we had.'

Brian Escott-Cox QC, for the prosecution, told the court: 'A beautiful summer day in May last year was disturbed by the boy in the dock. He dragged a three-year-old boy into some brambles and attempted to strangle him with the collar of his own shirt.

'He then proceeded to smash Carl's face with a golf club into a pulp, blow after blow after blow.'

Mr Escott-Cox said the accused teenager telephoned police and attempted to help them in their search for Carl. 'Exactly the same phenomenon as the person who sets fire to his house then stands there waiting for firemen to come.'

The trial continues today.