Innocent man burned to death by vigilante neighbours who mistook him for paedophile

An innocent man was kicked and beaten unconscious before being burned to death by vigilante neighbours who mistakenly believed he was a paedophile. Bijan Ebrahimi, 44, took a series of photographs of local youths attacking his hanging baskets and intended to hand the film to police as evidence. But someone saw him with the camera and told police that Mr Ebrahimi, who was registered disabled and couldn't work, had taken inappropriate pictures of children. Officers took him away for questioning and as Mr Ebrahimi was taken from his council flat in Brislington, Bristol, residents began chanting 'paedo, paedo'.

He was quizzed at a police station but officers soon realised the mistake and Mr Ebrahimi was released from custody. But rumours had already begun circulating in the local community that he was a child abuser and he was murdered two days later. A court heard how Lee James, 24, beat him unconscious and then, with the help of friend Stephen Norley, also 24, dragged his body into the street and set him on fire. The pair will be sentenced for the brutal crime next month after entering guilty pleas at Bristol Crown Court.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2478285/Innocent-man-burned-death-vigilante-neighbours-mistook-paedophile.html