Son watched his father beaten to death by gangsters

Norm Cocks (left) was convicted of killing Dain Phillips in Kelowna in June 2011. Cocks's father, Robert, is currently on trial in Vancouver for his alleged role in the killing.

Image Credit: gangstersout.blogspot.com

February 28, 2014 - 4:49 PM

“HIS EYES ROLLED TO THE BACK OF HIS HEAD. I KNEW RIGHT THERE AND THEN HE WAS DONE.”

KELOWNA – The details of how six Hell’s Angels allegedly beat to death an unarmed Kelowna man continued to emerge from Vancouver Supreme Court this week.

Daniel McRae, Matt McRae, Anson Schell and Robert Cocks are on trial for killing Kelowna grandfather Dain Phillips with baseball bats and a hammer in June 2011. The dispute began between the victim's son, Kody and some high school acquaintances.

According to Vancouver media reports, Phillips, 51, was hoping to resolve the dispute by meeting with the men on McCurdy Road at approximately 7 p.m. on June 12.

During the sentencing of Norm Cocks and Rob Thomas in January, Associate Chief Justice Austin Cullen heard testimony that when the victim arrived at the meeting spot, he was charged and assaulted by as many as seven men. Court heard the attackers used at least one baseball bat and a ball peen hammer and his head was kicked and stomped repeatedly. Phillips was left on the side of the road, unconscious. He died in hospital the next day.

Cocks and Thomas were convicted manslaughter last month and sentenced to 15 years in prison. It is the first time a full patch member of the Hell’s Angels has been convicted of murder in B.C.

Four other men, including Norm Cocks' father, are still on trial. They have pleaded not guilty to manslaughter.

Brothers Daniel and Matt McRae, Anson Schell and Robert Cocks are all members of the Hell’s Angels and the Throttle Lockers. They are accused of participating in the attack that led to the death of Phillips.

On Tuesday, according to the report, the victims son Kody Phillips told Justice Mark McEwan that the attack on his father lasted only seconds, “but felt like forever.”

Kody told the court that after the attack, he ran to where his father lay bleeding and unconscious.

“He was seizuring,” he said. “He went white. His eyes rolled to the back of his head. I knew right there and then, he was done.”

The trial continues.

To contact the reporter for this story, email Adam Proskiw at aproskiw@infotelnews.ca, call (250) 718-0428 or tweet @AdamProskiw.