‘Helpless’ victim kicked for ignoring woman

Tiffany Clark, 23, is on trial at Hull Crown Court along with Samuel Jordan, 22, and Soul Humphries, 22, for the murder of Steven Herbert, who was beaten to death when two groups of people chanced to meet on Beverley Road, Hull, in the early hours of New Year’s Day.

Clark claimed that Herbert’s hand had “brushed” her cheek when she rushed to intervene, after Humphries had been knocked to the floor.

She said she saw her co-accused Jordan run over and punch Herbert twice in the head and said she then walked away.

Looking back, she saw Herbert on the floor. She walked back and shouted at him before giving him a “forceful but not fullblown” kick, she claims, in the shoulder area.

Asked why she did it by her barrister Malcolm Swift QC, she said: “Because I didn’t know he was hurt and I thought he was ignoring me.”

She claimed she didn’t realise he was unconscious, but was challenged by prosecutor Andrew Robertson QC, during a harrowing exchange, who described Herbert, lying on his back “totally and utterly motionless... helpless”, arms outstretched in crucifixion position, his eyes open and unfocused. Mr Robertson said: “You’d seen Jordan launch into him. It was obvious he’d been knocked onto the ground.”

He went on: “When you were shouting and swearing, did those eyes move towards you and focus?”

“No, they didn’t,” she replied.

He said: “You knew he was unconscious and seriously hurt.” She replied: “He was just laid on the ground.”

Mr Robertson, who insisted that Clark had been “fuming, mad and angry” after an argument with Jordan, and had kicked Mr Herbert “hard” in the head, said: “You knew it was safe to kick him, because he was out cold – that’s the truth.”

Clark paused before she answered: “I’ve said I’ve kicked him and I’m sorry.”

All three deny murder.

The trial continues.