An alleged assassin with a “deep interest” in excessive violence battered a person to loss of life with a claw hammer in a cemetery, a court docket has heard.
Erik Feld is alleged to have struck Ranjith Kankanamalage repeatedly within the face and head in Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park, east London, in August 2021.
The 50-year-old’s physique was found hours later by a member of the general public.
A autopsy examination recognized 12 separate blows in step with being inflicted with a claw hammer, in addition to defensive accidents.
At the Old Bailey on Wednesday, prosecutor Paul Cavin KC informed jurors that Feld had a long-standing curiosity in “extreme violence”.
Mr Kankanamalage’s “catastrophic” accidents had been so unhealthy that paramedics at first thought they had been gunshot wounds, the barrister added.
The defendant allegedly informed a psychological well being assessor in 2017 that he used to exit “with a hammer, screwdriver or razor blades, hoping to catch someone unawares … down alleys.”
Feld additionally mentioned that he generally went out with a weapon “for example a hammer” in case an “opportunity presented itself”, the jury was informed.
Mr Cavin mentioned: “Obviously, the Crown say that is in fact what happened on the night in question.”
The court docket was informed Feld was arrested for waving a claw hammer exterior a department of Poundland, following an argument with a safety guard who suspected him of shoplifting, two days after Mr Kankanamalage was killed.
When his Tower Hamlets house was searched by police, officers discovered three mallets and a sledgehammer, the jury heard.
Feld was launched on bail after refusing to talk to officers or present entry to his cell phone, the listening to was informed.
Hammer and cut-throat razor ‘discovered by defendant’s pillow’
In January 2022, he was rearrested after DNA exams on Mr Kankanamalage’s bloodstained nail clippings allegedly supplied a match to the defendant.
An extra search of Feld’s flat uncovered one other hammer and a cut-throat razor by his pillow, the prosecution alleged.
Mr Cavin informed jurors: “As well as the DNA match, by the time of his second arrest and interview technicians had managed to break into the defendant’s smartphone that had been seized back in August the year before, after his first arrest.
“A obtain of the contents indicated that the defendant had a deep curiosity in violence with the actual theme of assaults with hammers.
“In the weeks leading up to August 16, he had repeatedly visited websites that contained videos of people being attacked with hammers, some of whom were beaten to death.”
An analyst additionally recovered two pictures of Feld posing with a claw hammer, the prosecutor mentioned.
Investigators retraced Mr Kankanamalage’s final actions on CCTV and he was final seen at 3.55am heading in direction of Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park.
Footage additionally captured a determine – now accepted to be the defendant – strolling away from the park at round 4.13am, and subsequently tracked to the street the place Feld lived.
The prosecutor mentioned: “It would be an incredible coincidence that of all the people that the deceased happened to come across at 4am in an east London park – and apparently decided to attack – he had the misfortune to have chosen a man with an unhealthy interest in the infliction of extreme violence particularly with a hammer, and who by chance was armed with a hammer that night.”
The prosecutor informed jurors that Feld admitted the killing however claimed it was in “lawful self defence”.
Feld, of Tredegar Road, Tower Hamlets, denies homicide and the trial continues.
Source: information.sky.com”
