A YOUNG man was beaten to death in the street for daring to ask a "savage pack" of teenagers to stop hurling food at passers-by, a court heard today.

Shane Tunney's attackers kicked his head and body "as though they were kicking footballs at a goal" in the brutal assault on him and his friend Anthony Kirk.

Mr Kirk, 21, survived the assault, despite being beaten with a metal bar, but his 24-year-old pal died five weeks later in hospital without regaining consciousness.

The attack came about after he challenged a gang of teenagers who were sitting on the roof of a Tesco supermarket in the early hours of June 27 last year, a jury was told.

To amuse themselves they were throwing rotten food off the roof onto people using the cashpoint below, Teesside Crown Court heard.

Mr Tunney tried to make them stop but as he and his friend walked away a member of the gang gave the order "hoods up" and they pursued them along the High Street in Norton, near Stockton.

In a "fast-moving and violent" incident the gang of seven 16- to 18-year-olds punched, kicked and stamped on their defenceless victims, it is alleged.

Brandon Pitt, Kieron Harry Davis, his cousin Kearan Terry Davis and Jake Douglas deny charges of murder a attempted grievous bodily harm with intent.

Two 17-year-old boys and one of 16-year-old, who cannot be identified because of their ages, have pleaded not guilty to the same charges.

The jury of seven men and five women heard that all the teenagers are from Stockton and and some boasted about what they had done and their affiliation to the town's Blue Hall estate.

Before the one of them allegedly threatened Mr Tunney with the words: "I'll smash your face in, I'll show you how true Blue Hallers do it."

Prosecutor Andrew Stubbs, QC, said today that the two men had the "misfortune" to arrive at the cashpoint minutes after the gang just before 2am.

He said: "They had decided their entertainment in the early hours of the morning was going to be throwing food waste from the roof of the shop onto people who were using the cash machine below.

"Mr Tunney and Mr Kirk took exception to this understandably and Shane made what looks to be a fairly half-hearted attempt to climb up onto the roof and scare whoever was throwing food away.

"The gang of defendants took exception to this. As Shane and Anthony walked away they shouted at them to go round the back of the store and for a second they obviously consider doing so, On the CCTV you see them turn into the alley and then think better of it, walking off up the High Street to get some food."

He said the gang pursued the friends and "attacked them as one" knocking them both onto the ground within seconds.

Mr Stubbs said: "Anthony Kirk was the stay on the ground getting beaten with a pole and being kicked. He was told to empty his pockets and although he said "no" someone rifled through his pockets and Shane's iPhone was taken from him.

"In the meantime Shane Tunny had been knocked to the floor and kicked and punched. He got up and ran for his life, but he was chased by some of those defendants who weren't tied up with Anthony Kirk, but he was unable to get away and even when he tried to get a taxi to stop and save him and his friend the attack continued until he was left for dead in the middle of the road.

"All the defendants then ran off. Not one or them stayed to check on the condition of the men they had just attacked or to lend any assistance at all."

He added: "A witness saw Shane being attacked near the taxi. he was thrown to the floor and repeatedly kicked, in her words, like they were kicking footballs at a goal, and she saw one of them lift up his leg and stamp down on Shane's head before walking away to the others like it was a job well done."

Footage from closed circuit television cameras - described as "compelling" by the prosecutor - was shown to the jury while people in the public gallery sobbed.

Mr Stubbs said: "This was a senseless killing that should never have happened, and would never have happened if these defendants had not been acting together.

"None of the teenagers would have taken on Shane Tunney and Anthony Kirk alone, but together they overwhelmed them.

"The prosecution says that the evidence will drive you to the sure conclusion that this was a pack attack from start to finish, executed with savage brutality by these defendants, giving their victims no chance."

Two of the teenagers were "high-fiving" each other after the attack and said it showed "not to mess with them", the jury heard.

The 17-year-olds were said to have been boasting at the home of a friend, and speaking of how "it was all for one and one for all".

One of them is alleged to have told others present at the house that he "left a footprint on his head" and said: "I bet they're all over his body - f***ing deserved it."

In the garden of the home, they are said to have acted out one of them "slamming" Mr Tunney to the ground and the other stamping on his body, said Mr Stubbs.

Another witness who saw the group as Mr Tunney was being treated in the road by paramedics said they were "hyper, bobbing up and down and jumping around as though they were boxers before a boxing match", said the prosecutor.

Kieran Harry Davis is alleged to have said "he had just left a lad for dead" and later laughed with one of the 17-year-olds about what they had done even though they knew Mr Tunney was in a coma.

After their arrests, some of the defendants were not prepared to answer police questions, and the ones who did talk gave false accounts of what happened, blamed others or lies about where they had been.

One was "furious" at the thought being charged with murder and in a phone call to a friend from prison he said the police had no evidence.

Kieran Harry Davis told his girlfriend in a call from custody that even though there was CCTV footage "they can't tell their faces or nothing babe".

Kearan Terry Davis defied the police to come up with any evidence against him - before they found a SIM card from Mr Tunney's phone in a drain outside his home.

Mr Stubbs told the jury: "You can see a theme developing when the defendants were talking about what had happened and who had been responsible.

"They all downplayed their part and placed the blame on others. It's a theme that may continue in the course of the trial, but the Crown's case is that they were all acting together and all shared the same intention.

"From the defendants there is a collection of lies, denials, changes in account and attempts to minimise involvement.

"It will be for you, having heard all the evidence, to decide the facts of this case, to determine the guilt of these defendants as they seek to save their own skins while pointing the finger at each other."