Men arrested in Italian attack ‘European’ say police
(ANSA) – London, October 23 – The seven men accused of attacking and killing a young Italian man in Britain were European, police said Wednesday, refusing to add further details of the suspects’ nationalities.
That is relevant to motive as initial reports suggested the gang attacked and killed 19-year-old Joele Leotta of northern Italy, at his apartment in the town of Maidstone in Kent, because they accused him of stealing jobs.
But police added that although they cannot say anything about a motive, they were not treating the case as racially motivated.
Richard Allan, spokesman for the Kent Police, told ANSA that he could give no more details than the fact the seven accused were European.
Earlier, police said the men were “of foreign nationality, not British”.
Leotta died after he was kicked and punched by a gang of men aged 21 to 45.
Leotta, who may also have been stabbed in the attack, had travelled from his home in the northern town of Nibionno, near the city of Lecco, to Britain 10 days earlier to learn English and find work.