Winchester Crown Court heard Eastleigh newsagent Choudhry Zishan was battered to death in a 'prolonged and savage attack'

Choudhry Zishan, 35, suffered repeated punches, stamps and kicks from brothers Samuel and Jonathan McKinley just moments after he left home to go to work.

The popular dad was left fighting for his life on Eastleigh High Street, with a fractured skull, nose and severe brain injuries which proved fatal.

Prosecutor Andrew Langdon QC told Winchester Crown Court yesterday: “It went beyond robbery.

“It amounted to gratuitous violence on a stranger who was unlucky enough to walk into the path of these two men that early Sunday morning.”

Mr Langdon told the jury the trial would hear from four people who heard and saw parts of the attack in the early hours of March 30.

The scene where Choudhry Zishan was attacked in Eastleigh

He said: “Mavis Orlowski heard 'Give me the money or I will stab you in the face'. She saw the attacker repeatedly punch down on the victim.”

Mr Langdon added: “She also heard Mr Zishan cry out 'you are hurting me' and there was a cry like an animal, that sort of cry, horrible. She phoned the police.”

Another neighbour, Carl Hubbucks, heard 'give me the money' and a scream or a howl, said Mr Langdon.

“He saw Mr Zishan being punched, kicked and indeed stamped upon. He saw full pelt swing at the head with feet and repeated demands for money and the issuing of threats.”

Mr Hubbucks saw one attacker holding Mr Zishan whilst the other kicked him.

Mr Langdon added: “He saw the 'skinny one', likely to have been Jon, lose his balance and fall. That appeared to have angered him and he returned with renewed vigour kicking Mr Zishan.

“He was clearly unable to defend himself having been rendered unconscious.”

Mr Zishan lived above the Newsmarket in High Street, Eastleigh, one of his shops, and was the father of five-year-old Azaan. His wife Sabina was expecting their second child.

After leaving Mr Zishan for dead the court heard how the McKinleys fled to a house, which happened to be next door to the victim's brother.

It was the home of a friend, Andrea Palmer, in George Wright Close, Eastleigh, the neighbour of Mr Zishan's brother, Ali Fayazz.

While the brothers were there Mr Fayazz had been alerted to the tragedy after police told Mr Zishan's wife Sabina.

“When Mr Fayazz saw the McKinleys leaving the home he didn't know they were the men responsible for killing his brother,” said Mr Langdon.

He said Ms Palmer was unhappy the brothers were there and told them to leave.

Winchester Crown Court

They had put two pairs of jeans and a pair of trainers in her washing machine but she stopped the cycle and put the clothes in a plastic bag.

After leaving, the brothers split up, with Sam going to his girlfriend Emma Humby's flat in Monks Way where he was arrested at 6.35am.

Jon went to the Texaco garage to buy four cans of Foster's lager before heading to his mother's home in Devon Drive, Chandler's Ford.

She asked him to leave and he went on to Ms Humby's flat where he was arrested at 9.40am.

Blood and urine were taken from the brothers which revealed that Sam was three times the drink drive limit. As Jon had carried on drinking after the attack no tests were done.

In interview Sam said his arrest for murder had come as a “bombshell” and that he had no recollection of the incident. His brother declined to comment.

Sam McKinley, 25, of no fixed abode, and Jon, 23, of Devon Drive, Chandler's Ford, both deny murder.

Proceeding.

• TWO brothers accused of savagely beating a newsagent to death were caught on a hidden camera talking about the attack.

Prosecutor Andrew Langdon QC told the court that police hid a camera and microphone inside the van that took the McKinley brothers to court.

He said that the footage recorded the men talking about the attack.

Sam asked Jon: “Did I hit him?” Jon said “yeah” and nodded, said Mr Langdon.

Sam said: “Did I throw him into a car?” Jon: “Yeah.”

After the opening by Mr Langdon, the jury heard from the prosecutions first witness Kirsty Eldridge, who was out in Eastleigh with friends in the early hours of March 30.

She said they met the brothers and found their behaviour “aggressive, intimidating, not pleasant at all.”