Two men repeatedly punched, kicked and stamped on the head of an 81-year-old Muslim man, killing him as he walked to his mosque in Rotherham for morning prayers, a court heard.

Sheffield Crown Court heard Dale Jones and Damien Hunt, both 30, accused Mushin Ahmed of being a "groomer" before attacking him shortly after 3am on Monday 10 August last year.

Mr Ahmed was left with serious injuries and brain damage and died 11 days later.

Andrew Robertson QC, prosecuting, said Jones and Hunt had been drinking Sambuca and Southern Comfort, along with taking cocaine and diazepam, before the attack, the Yorkshire Post reports.

Mr Robertson said Jones had tried to attack an Asian taxi driver while shouting abuse at him moments before coming across Mr Ahmed.

He said: "There was an incident of blatant aggression by Jones that demonstrated his racist attitude. A taxi driver came down Doncaster Road. The driver was Asian. Jones began shouting racial abuse."

Describing how Jones came across Mr Ahmed, Mr Robertson said: "Jones immediately accused him of being a groomer. No doubt his word for paedophile and no doubt an accusation made by Jones for no better reason than Mr Ahmed was Asian."

He told the court a shoe print left on Mr Ahmed's face matched the make of Adidas trainers Jones had been seen wearing on CCTV that night, and said Hunt's DNA was found on Mr Ahmed's broken dentures.

Jones and Hunt both deny murdering the pensioner.

A statement released by Mr Ahmed's family to South Yorkshire Police said: “My husband and the father of our four children was the most sincere, kind and gentle man.

“He loved Yemen and England and Ireland, and was incredibly proud to be a Yorkshireman.

“We’d like to thank everyone within our local community and beyond, who have offered us overwhelming support throughout the most difficult time in our lives."