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A young man was beaten to death in the street for asking a gang of teenagers to stop hurling food at passers-by, a court heard.

Shane Tunney's attackers kicked his head and body "as though they were kicking footballs at a goal" in the brutal assault on him and his friend Anthony Kirk.

Anthony survived the assault, despite being beaten with a metal bar.

But Shane, 24, died five weeks later in hospital without regaining consciousness, a jury was told.

The attack came about after he challenged a gang of teenagers who were sitting on the roof of a Tesco supermarket in the early hours of June 27th last year.

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To amuse themselves they were throwing food off the roof onto people using the cashpoint below, Teesside crown court heard.

Shane tried to make them stop but as he and his friend walked away a member of the gang gave the order "hoods up" and they pursued them along the High Street in Norton, Stockton-on-Tees.

In a "fast-moving and violent" incident the gang of seven 16-18-year-olds punched, kicked and stamped on their defenceless victims, it is alleged. Brandon Pitt, Kieron Harry Davis, Kearen Terry Davis and Jake Douglas, all 18, deny murder .

Also denying murder are two 17-year-old boys and one 16-year-old boy.

All of the defendants are from tockton and bragged about their affiliation to the town's Blue Hall estate.

Before the attack one of them allegedly threatened Shane with the words: "I'll smash your face in, I'll show you how true Blue Hallers do it."

Prosecutor Andrew Stubbs, QC, said Shane and Anthony had the "misfortune" to arrive at the cashpoint minutes after the gang.

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He said: They had decided their entertainment in the early hours of the morning was going to be throwing food waste from the roof of the shop onto people who were using the cash machine below.

"Mr Tunney and Mr Kirk took exception to this understandably and Shane made what looks to be a fairly half-hearted attempt to climb up onto the roof and scare whoever was throwing food away."

He said the gang pursued the friends and "attacked them as one" knocking them both onto the floor within seconds.

Mr Stubs said Anthony Kirk was on the ground getting beaten with a pole and being kicked.

He was told to empty his pockets and although he said "no" someone rifled through his pockets and Shanes iPhone was taken from him.

"In the meantime Shane Tunny had been knocked to the floor and kicked and punched. he got up and ran for his life, chased by some of those defendants who weren't tied up with Anthony Kirk.

"But he was unable to get away and even when he tried to get a taxi to stop and save him and his friend the attack continued until he was left for dead in the middle of the road.

"All the defendants then ran off. No one stayed to check on the condition of the men they had just attacked or to lend any assistance at all."

He added: "A witness saw Shane being attacked near the taxi. he was thrown to the floor and repeatedly kicked - like they were kicking footballs at a goal - and she saw one of them lift up his leg and stamp down on Shane's head before walking away to the others like it was a job well done."

The trial continues.