A father-of-one was stabbed to death by a group of youths who ambushed him in the mistaken belief that he was a paedophile, a court has heard

Darren Kelly (above), 42, from Basildon, Essex, was killed in neighbouring Pitsea in October last year.

The lorry driver was said to have been targeted by the gang because they thought he was there to meet an underage girl for sex.

Off-duty police community support officer Emma Spurr told the court she was walking home shortly after 9pm when she saw a group of youths hiding in the park.

She said that some of them appeared to be concealing themselves behind trees and bushes, adding: “It made me feel nervous and I wanted to get home as quickly as possible.”

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Suspect: Chris Carroll denies murdering Darren Kelly (Facebook)

Chris Carroll, 20, from Pitsea, along with two 17-year-old boys and a 16-year-old girl all deny murder.

The teenagers cannot be named for legal reasons.

Prosecutor Crispin Aylett described how the girl, then aged 15, had launched a "personal campaign” against paedophiles and had previously arranged to meet two men she had found online in the hope they would be arrested.

Asked why by police, she said: “Because they’re perverts and I don’t think perverts should be around and I don’t see anybody else doing anything about it.”

There was no suggestion Mr Kelly was a paedophile and he may have believed he was meeting an adult woman.

The court heard that the girl arranged to meet Mr Kelly before recruiting a gang to attack him.

The other defendants and a 13-year-old girl are alleged to have gathered nearby.

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Ambushed: Mr Kelly managed to get help before he died from stab wounds (SWNS)

When he arrived, the group started to punch and kick him and Carroll slashed the tyres on his car, Mr Aylett added.

Ms Spurr said she saw two males and a girl suddenly run towards a man in a duffel coat, later discovered to be Mr Kelly.

They ran across the road, forcing a car to make an emergency stop.

Ms Spurr said: "When they got to him one of the men made a motion as if to punch the man. It connected and he seemed to crouch forward.

"The man in the duffel coat started to run down the road and the males and the female chased after him. I heard some shouting but it was not clear what was said or by who.”

She lost sight of the group and did not see what happened next.

Mr Kelly managed to get help from local residents but died in hospital after suffering six stab wounds.

The 13-year-old girl was originally arrested in connection with the death but released without charge.

The trial continues.

Top pic: SWNS