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.
Speaking after the hearing, Avon and Somerset Police spokesman Martin Dunscombe said Mr Ebrahimi was an innocent man.
He said: 'Mr Ebrahimi was arrested on suspicion of a public order offence - breach of the peace - and after being interviewed he was released with no further action taken.
'We can categorically state he had not taken any indecent images and that nothing of concern had been found on his computer.'
In a family statement his relatives said Bijan was a 'loving and caring man' who lived for his garden.
They said: 'Bijan was a quiet, disabled man whose only joys in life came from his horticultural interests and his cat.
'Bijan was a caring, loving and unselfish man. He was an excellent uncle and a warm, supportive brother.'
Neighbours described how Mr Ebrahimi had a passion for the flowers and plants he grew in front of his maisonette in Bristol and that he was 'always out there' tending to them.
But after youngsters started destroying his beloved garden he began started taking pictures to hand over to the council, who owned his property, and the police.
Rumours that Mr Ebrahimi was taking pictures of young children quickly circulated the neighbourhood leading to 'anger' and 'hostility' towards him.
Police then arrested him on July 12, two days before his death on July 14, after locals raised concerns about the photographs he was taking.
Mr Ebrahimi was released without charge when police realised the error but Lee James, who pleaded guilty to murder, and Stephen Norley, who admitted to assisting an offender, decided to 'take the law into their own hands', the court heard.
One resident, who wanted to remain anonymous, said: 'On the Thursday evening (before his death) everyone came out and they were calling him a paedophile.
'There were about 20 people out there all having a say. They had him down as a 100 per cent paedophile.
'When the police took him away everyone was cheering. Then he got released back into that.'
Another resident added: 'Whoever started those rumours now has to live with that. He wasn't a paedophile and he's now dead.That's a hell of a thing to have on your conscience.'
Both the Independent Police Complaints Commission and the local council have now both launched a review into the way the case was handled.
Source:dailymail.co.uk
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