Victim 'lured' to his death on beach over abuse claims
A man found murdered on a beach may have been killed by his alleged attackers because they believed he molested a teenage girl, a court has heard.
Gary Pocock's body was found half naked and bruised on the seafront in Leysdown, Kent, in August.
The 34-year-old had been beaten with baseball bats.
Four men and a teenage boy have denied murder during the trial at Maidstone Crown Court.
The men charged with murder are Christopher James Bones, 20, of Dorothy Gardens, Dagenham; Matthew Terry, 20, and Mark Terry, 44, both of Grantham Road, Manor Park, and Jamie West, 19, of Cliffe View Gardens, Warden, Sheerness.
A 15-year-old boy from Warden is also accused of murder, but cannot be named for legal reasons.
The court heard that Mr Pocock had been out drinking in Sheppey on the night of his death and the attack may have been planned.
Prosecuting barrister, Jonathan Higgs QC, said to the jury: "The group that killed Gary Pocock took him out drinking, lured him back to the beach and there beat him to death."
He had been accused of molesting a teenage girl, the court was told.
The trial continues.