WA verdict reserved over Litchfield death

Five teenagers accused of murdering a 28-year-old West Australian man will remain in custody for at least another month after a Perth judge reserved his verdict in their trial.

The boys, aged between 14 and 16, are accused of murdering Tauri Litchfield in Mandurah, south of Perth, in March last year by assaulting him and chasing him until he tripped over a wall in a car park, suffering fatal brain injuries.

The charge against a sixth boy was dropped during the trial.

The court has heard one of the boys tried to pickpocket Mr Litchfield who then slapped the teenager on the back of his head with an open palm.

The teenager then punched Mr Litchfield in the jaw, knocking him onto his back into some bushes, before the group surrounded him and chased him until he fell, prosecutors allege.

Children's Court president Denis Reynolds will deliver his verdict on March 28.