A killer bludgeoned seven strangers over the head and left two pensioners dead in a month-long orgy of violence, a court heard yesterday.

Ali Koc, 30, is accused of beating his victims with lumps of wood, before head butting, punching and kicking them in a series of random attacks in parks across north London.

Victor Parsons, 67, died seven weeks after he was attacked in Alexandra Park on January 5 last year.

Woolwich Crown Court heard Keith Needell, 84, lost his life last July - six months after being assaulted on January 31, in Queen's Wood.

Koc, who is from Turkey, is also accused of attacking five other men while they were either jogging or dog walking, jurors were told.

Brian Altman, Queen's Counsel, who is prosecuting, described it as "violence for violence sake."

He said: "Over the course of four weeks in January last year, men aged between 29 to 85 were violently and indiscriminately attacked in parks and woodland in north London.

"Each man was beaten by a male assailant by head butting, punches, kicks and blows with heavy lumps of wood.

"The first and last of the victims in the series of attacks, the two oldest were to die in hospital, of the countless head injuries on them.

"These offences, were serial attacks, and we say were done by this man, Ali Koc.

"All of these attacks took place within 2.5km of this defendant's address, in parks and woods that we say were very familiar to him.

"This allowed him to flee the scene of the crime undetected and find his way home."

Mr Altman said none of the victims were robbed, or had items demanded from them, and there was no sexual motivation behind the attack.

He said: "This was violence for violence sake, committed by the same man, in the same geographical area of north London.

"Two men died and others were left battered and bruised by their ordeal."

Koc, of Lightfoot Road, Hornsey, north London, denies two counts of murder, and five of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm.