Schoolboy, 13, and older friend, 19, found guilty of murdering man by smashing his head with a brick then joking about it with a laughing emoji

Two teenagers from have been found guilty of murdering a man by smashing his head with a brick at a city centre skatepark. 

A jury of seven women and five men took almost two days of deliberation to unanimously convict Kai Howitt, 19, and a 13-year-old of killing Jack Edwards, following a two-week trial at Nottingham Crown Court.

They heard how the 24-year-old victim suffered 'catastrophic brain damage' during a confrontation with a group of youths at Sussex Street Skate Park at around 6.50pm on Tuesday, December 5, last year.

When the forewoman of the jury delivered the verdicts there were audible gasps and calls of 'oh no' from family members of the defendants sitting in the public gallery. 

Mr Justice Turner KC will select a sentencing date for Howitt, of Trent Boulevard, Lady Bay and the 13-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, later this morning.

Gordon Aspden KC, prosecuting, told jurors Mr Edwards, from Kirkby-in-Ashfield, was murdered with a brick in a 'joint attack' by Howitt, of Trent Boulevard, Lady Bay, and the younger boy.

The trial was told the victim, who had been released from prison earlier on the day of the attack, made 'offensive and crude' comments at teenage girls known by the defendants at the skatepark. 

On Tuesday, June 11, prosecutors read messages received and sent by the pair, who also communicated with each other.

The prosecution said Howitt began searching for news about the incident online after the attack. 

He also received a message from a friend reading: 'Bruv what you doing hitting someone wid a brick fam u man are going jail.'

The morning after the incident, the 13-year-old defendant searched for how long someone would be sentenced to for 'bricking' someone, Mr Aspden said. He said the younger boy received a message from a friend reading: 'Kai bricked that yute', to which he replied 'I did it as well'.

The prosecutor said the 13-year-old also messaged co-defendant Howitt saying: 'Man f***** it'. Mr Aspden said one of the younger teen's friends referred to him as a 'little murder' to which he responded with a laughing emoji.

Jurors were shown CCTV footage of the attack. On it Mr Edwards, who was 6ft 8in tall and arrived at the skatepark with a friend, is seen speaking to two girls. 

Mr Aspden said: 'We suggest this is him propositioning them and making sexual remarks.'

On the clip, after a confrontation broke out between Mr Edwards and a group of youths, he is seen to retreat to the basketball court area, remove his man bag and top and march back shirtless. The group appears to then throw items before he walks back.

Footage showed youths, which prosecutors said included the two defendants, trying to jump up a wall by the City of Caves. 'At this point, we say a brick is being collated,' said Mr Aspden. A brick is thrown but misses 'by a mile', he added.

Mr Edwards, 'flexing his muscles and egging them on', is flanked by Howitt and the 13-year-old defendant, prosecutors say. The 13-year-old picks up half of the thrown brick for Howitt and keeps the other, said Mr Aspden. 'Both of the young men are in possession of projectile missiles.'

Footage shows the group bearing down on Mr Edwards, with one member appearing to throw an item that floors the defendant. Mr Edwards died in hospital two days later.

Close scrutiny of the footage enabled police to trace the two defendants - Kai Howitt and the 13-year-old, who lives in Radford. He said detectives identified Howitt who exposed his face on a tram after the attack. He was then trailed to his home in West Bridgford.

Mr Aspden said the prosecution's case is the two defendants were 'acting together, with each of them playing an important part in the killing'. '

This was a joint attack,' he said. '[The 13-year-old defendant] picked up the bricks that were used. He kept one for himself and he handed the other to Howitt.

'Having armed themselves in this way, the defendants then approached Mr Edwards, and when they were at close quarters with him they threw these two heavy missiles at him virtually simultaneously and with force.' Mr Aspden said by law it does not matter which brick struck the victim as they were 'in it together'.

He added: 'If they were acting in concert they are therefore jointly responsible for Mr Edwards' death.' Mr Aspden said the Crown's case is that both defendants 'intended, at the very least, to cause Mr Edwards really serious harm'.

'When you look at what they did, the fractured skull and brain damage, they achieved their objective, did they not?'

In a statement released at the time of the murder, the family of Mr Edwards said he was born and raised in the Ashfield area and that they had been left devastated by the attack which has led to their son's death. 

It read: 'We are still trying to process what has happened and comprehend the fact that Jack is no longer with us.

'He was only 24 years old. It is difficult for us to put into words the emotions we are feeling right now but we are devastated. He was much-loved, and leaves behind a mum, a dad, a brother, a sister and many other family and friends.

'We have been by his bedside at the hospital throughout and we would like to thank the ambulance service and police officers who attended that evening and the hospital staff. 

'The support we have received has been overwhelming (and) we would now like to ask for privacy at this incredibly difficult time.'