Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
National
Neil Docking

Woman 'saw man bashing his dad's head on the pavement'

A woman who witnessed a fatal attack outside her home said an alleged murderer shouted: "I will f***ing kill you."

Neil Badrock, 27, admits the manslaughter of his 51-year-old dad, Neil Farrington, in a Kirkby street last May.

But he denies murdering his father, in what prosecutors say was a "ferocious, brutal and totally unforgiving" attack.

READ MORE: Detectives could be just one tip off away from solving murder

A trial at Liverpool Crown Court heard evidence from Rebecca Alger, who described Badrock "bashing" Mr Farrington's head on the pavement.

The Kirkby Row resident burst into tears when asked to relive the 999 call she made shortly after 11pm, on Monday, May 17 last year.

Ms Alger told the jury she went to her spare bedroom and looked out of the window after her sister told her there were "two fellas outside arguing".

The witness said she could see two men standing on the pavement, on the other side of her front garden wall.

She recalled hearing the older of the two men say: "I've put up with this for 20 odd years."

Ms Alger said: "The older one went to walk away. The younger one turned him around and butted him."

The witness started to cry as she confirmed the younger man headbutted the older man in the face, after which she rang the police.

Neil Badrock, 27, (left), allegedly murdered his dad Neil Farrington, 51, (right) in Kirkby. (Liverpool Echo)

Guy Gozem, QC, prosecuting, said: "Did you see what effect the headbutt had?"

Ms Alger replied: "No, because he fell to the floor, but then there was no more sound from the older man."

She added: "It was like he became unconscious and then fell to the floor, because there was no more response from him then."

Ms Alger told the jury: "That's when he started bashing his head."

The witness demonstrated how the younger man took hold of the older man and said she could "hear the noise" as he hit his head on the pavement.

Ms Alger said: "He was lifting it up and banging it down onto the pavement."

The witness said the younger man did this "definitely over five times", before he started kicking the victim.

Mr Gozem asked whether the attacker was saying anything.

Ms Alger said she heard him say: "I will f***ing kill you."

She added that she heard this "definitely over three times".

Ms Alger said the younger man walked a couple of steps away, before returning and "bashing his head again", which he did "definitely over twice".

The witness said she also saw the younger man kicking the victim "about five times", but she wasn't sure whether he punched him.

Ms Alger said at one point she saw the attacker "do something with his hand, like he took something off his hand and put it in his pocket".

The court heard a white car pulled up and a police officer ran over with a taser, before Badrock, of Kenbury Close, Kirkby, was arrested.

Ms Alger was then asked to read out a transcript of her 999 call.

She told the operator "I need the police straight away, there's two fellas fighting", before describing one man attacking the other.

Ms Alger read out: "He's banging his head on the floor and everything."

The jury heard after the operator said "just stay on the line", she replied: "Arr he's beating him."

Bursting into tears, Ms Alger told the court: "I can't do it. I can't read any more of it."

The witness agreed she had also seen the attacker "stamping" on the older man.

Ms Alger said she thought it was her sister - standing next to her during the phone call - who described the younger man as "volleying" the victim.

Mr Farrington suffered injuries including a broken skull and brain injury, and, after five weeks in a coma, died in hospital on June 21.

Prosecutors say he had gone to The Mainbrace pub in Kirkby to try and calm his son down, after Badrock sent him texts about a man he had argued with at the pub, saying: "I will bite his f***ing windpipe out if I have to."

The trial has heard Badrock was asked to leave the pub after telling his dad to "f*** off", before Mr Farrington caught up with him, close to the junction of Whitefield Drive and Kirkby Row.

It is alleged the attack lasted five minutes and ended when police arrived.

Prosecutors say officers found Badrock still kicking his dad in the head, while shouting: "What do you think about that?"

Under questioning by Benjamin Myers, QC, defending, Ms Alger confirmed she had heard the older man say: "I'm f***ing sick of it, I've put up with it for 20 years."

The witness also agreed she told police she had seen the older man "pushing" the younger man.

Ms Alger said: "Yeah, I did, not violently push him, but now you mention it, yeah I did."

She said this happened before the older man went to walk away.

Mr Myers suggested this push was to his client's upper body and "towards the neck", but the witness said she thought it was to the body and chest.

The QC said: "Did you see him grabbing the area of his neck for a brief period?"

"No," she replied, adding that she didn't see the younger man go to the ground at any point.

The witness agreed the younger man was shouting and sounded "angry".

Mr Myers said: "Did you ever hear him shout anything like 'look what you've made me do?'"

"I can't say I did, no," Ms Alger replied.

(Proceeding)

Receive newsletters with the latest news, sport and what's on updates from the Liverpool ECHO by signing up here

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.