Teenage girls detained for killing man in Islington street attack

Three teenage girls who admitted manslaughter after a 75-year-old man died in a street attack that was filmed on a mobile phone have been detained.

The girls, who were aged 14, 16 and 17 at the time of the attack, pushed, shoved, kicked and punched Fredi Rivero near a bus stop in Islington, north London, on 27 February, with one of them filming the assault on her phone and grabbing his glasses.

Mr Rivero, a Bolivian national, was near a bus stop on Seven Sisters Road when the teenagers got off a bus and surrounded him.

He was found by police officers unconscious on the pavement with a severe head injury and in cardiac arrest. He was taken to the Royal London Hospital where he died the next day.

The youngest girl – now 15 – was given two and a half years’ detention; the 16-year-old girl – now 17 – got three and a half years; while the eldest – who is 18 next month – received four years. They cannot be named because of their age.

Mr Rivero’s daughter, Carla Rivero, told the Old Bailey in a victim impact statement that it was not his time to die and his “death was forced upon him”. She described him as “kind, polite and gentle”.

Ms Rivero said her father would “forever live in my heart”.

“He was the nicest person you could ever meet, so kind, never bothered anyone,” she said.

Louise Oakley, prosecuting, said the Crown’s case was that the three girls had carried out “unprovoked violence” in their attack.

CCTV was played to the court, which showed the girls getting off a bus, then during an initial interaction Mr Rivero made a peace sign. They at first walked away but then went back to him.

Mobile phone footage was also played to the court which showed one of the girls pull his glasses off his face, then one punched him and he fell backwards.

The Met Police said that officers immediately searched the area following the attack, and tracked the girls down to a nearby park where two were arrested. The third girl was arrested at her home.

Once in custody the girls began to blame each other for the attack, the force said.