‘Our son deserved better’: Family of Chris Kaba issue statement after Met officer cleared of murder
The family of Chris Kaba have said they have been left with the “deep pain of injustice” after the police marksman who shot him was cleared of murder.
Martyn Blake, 40, fired a single bullet through the windscreen of the Audi Q8 the 24-year-old was driving as armed officers surrounded the car in Streatham, south London, while he tried to escape.
The jury deliberated for about three hours on Monday to clear Mr Blake, who appeared to be briefly overcome with emotion as the verdict was returned.
Mr Kaba’s family sat in silence in court, but in a later statement said the not guilty verdict had left them with “the deep pain of injustice”.
“No family should endure the unimaginable grief we have faced. Chris was stolen from us, and this decision shows his life – and many others like him – does not matter to the system. Our son deserved better,” the statement issued by the campaign group Inquest said.
Chris Kaba was shot dead in Streatham, south London
“The acquittal of Martyn Blake isn’t just a failure for our family, but for all those affected by police violence.”
The family vowed that they “won’t be silenced” and will continue fighting for “justice and for real change”.
The verdict was called a “devastating moment” for the “family, our community and the nation”, by the Justice For Chris Kaba Campaign.
‘Huge sacrifice’
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said Mr Blake made a split-second decision on what he thought was necessary “to protect his colleagues and to protect London”.
“No firearms officer sets out on duty intent with ending a life,” Sir Mark said, speaking outside New Scotland Yard after the verdict. “Their sole purpose is the complete opposite, the protection and preservation of life.”
Blake shot through the windscreen of an Audi Q8
He said Mr Blake has paid a “huge personal and professional sacrifice” over the past two years since the shooting and that he worries about the lack of support officers receive.
“No police officer is above the law, but we have been clear that the system holding police to account is broken,” Sir Mark said.
“I worry about the lack of support officers face for doing their best, but most of all, I worry for the public. The more we crush the spirit of good officers, the less they can fight crime that risks London becoming less safe.”
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper added it was a “very difficult case” causing “deep concerns for communities, for police officers and of course causing real distress for the families most closely affected”.
She said it is imperative the jury’s decision is “respected and everyone is given the space to process the verdict”.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Chris Kaba verdict: Met reaction
Conservative leadership hopeful Robert Jenrick called Mr Blake a “hero” adding that his prosecution was “wrong”.
“The ordeal he [Mr Blake] has gone through, unthinkable. We must back our brave police officers, and not drag them through the courts for making split-second decisions,” Mr Jenrick said.
‘I think there is police behind me’
A helicopter and six police cars were involved in stopping Mr Kaba on the night of 5 September 2022 after the vehicle he was driving had been linked to a shooting outside a school in nearby Brixton the previous evening, the Old Bailey heard.
Mr Kaba knew he was being followed, telling a friend Elisha Fizul: “Lish, one sec, I think there is police behind me,” before he turned into Kirkstall Gardens, where Mr Blake was inside a marked BMW.
The trial hinged on the following 17 seconds, which saw the Audi reverse a short distance, hitting an unmarked car behind, then accelerate forward, reaching an estimated 12mph before colliding with the BMW and a parked Tesla.
Read more:
Ex-police marksman calls for ‘better understanding’ of officers who use lethal force
Armed officers were heard shouting “go, go, go” and “armed police, get out of the f***ing car,” as they surrounded the vehicle, in footage played in court.
The Audi then reversed at 8mph, hitting the unmarked Volvo behind, and was stationary as Mr Blake pulled the trigger of his carbine less than a second later, followed by shouts of “shots fired” and “where from?”
Mr Kaba, who was not armed and had no weapons in the car, had both hands on the steering wheel when he was shot in the head and he died in hospital in the early hours of the next day.
Prosecutors said Mr Blake may have “become angry, frustrated and annoyed” and Mr Kaba had done nothing in the seconds before he was shot to justify his decision to pull the trigger.
Mr Kaba’s mother Helen Lumuanganu (left), outside the Old Bailey. Pic: PA
They said the Metropolitan Police officer gave a “false” and “exaggerated” account when he said Mr Kaba used his car as a weapon in a bid “to escape at any cost”.
Mr Blake, who was previously known as NX121 before a judge lifted an anonymity order, told jurors he was “full of dread” as he heard wheel-spinning and the car’s engine revving.
He said he didn’t intend to kill Mr Kaba, adding: “I had a genuine belief that there was an imminent threat to life, I thought one or more of my colleagues was about to die.
“I thought I was the only person with effective firearms cover at the time.
“If I hadn’t acted, I thought one of my colleagues would be dead. I felt I had a duty to protect them at the time.”
Chris Kaba’s father and mother
Chris Kaba was shot dead on 5 September
One armed officer said he would have opened fire if Mr Blake had not, while another said he was fractions of a second away from doing so.
Mr Kaba’s shooting sparked a wave of protests, while his family have campaigned for justice.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) handed a file of evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) in March last year, following an almost seven-month investigation.
It will review the case before deciding if Mr Blake should face gross misconduct proceedings.
In a statement on Monday, IOPC director Amanda Rowe defended the decision to refer the shooting to the CPS.
She said the decision to refer the case followed “careful consideration of a significant amount of evidence” gathered during its independent investigation.
“The matter has now been heard in open court and the officer has accounted for his actions before a jury,” Ms Rowe said.
“Ultimately it is that jury’s decision, having carefully considered all the evidence, to determine guilt or innocence and we respect that decision and thank them for their consideration.”
Some Met firearms officers turned in their weapons after Mr Blake was charged in September last year, while the force’s commissioner, Sir Mark Rowley, called for greater legal protections after a review was ordered by then home secretary Suella Braverman.
Mr Blake is only the fourth police officer to be charged with murder or manslaughter over a fatal police shooting in England and Wales since 1990, while a total of 83 people have died in such incidents, according to the Inquest charity.
In that time only one on duty officer, Benjamin Monk, has been found guilty of manslaughter – over the death of former Aston Villa striker Dalian Atkinson, 48 – while none have been convicted of murder.
UK
Post Office scandal: At least 8 convictions may be linked to second IT system used by Post Office
At least eight convictions predating the Horizon Post Office scandal are being looked at by the body investigating potential miscarriages of justice, Sky News has learned.
The Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) has confirmed it is examining multiple cases of former sub-postmasters affected by Capture software.
The computer accounting system was used in the early 1990s, prior to Horizon being introduced to Post Office branches from 1999 onwards.
Horizon was at the centre of the Post Office scandal and saw hundreds of sub-postmasters wrongly convicted of stealing from their branches.
The Kroll report, commissioned by the government earlier this year, found that Capture had bugs and glitches and there was a reasonable likelihood it had caused cash shortfalls too.
Lord Beamish, the former Labour MP Kevan Jones, has been supporting victims and is calling for the government to extend current legislation to automatically quash convictions.
The Post Office (Horizon System) Offences Act was passed in May but does not include Capture victims.
Lord Beamish told Sky News he has raised the issue with the Justice Secretary and called for a House of Lords debate.
“The government are going to have to take this seriously,” he said. “We can’t have a situation where we have a two-tier system where people get exonerated from Horizon and the Capture cases are either forgotten or have to go through a very lengthy legal process to get their names cleared.”
Chris claims his mother was wrongly jailed because of accounting problems with the Post Office software Capture
He added he had “little faith” in the CCRC’s “ability to deal with cases”, after multiple Horizon cases were referred to the body years ago.
“The problem with these cases is the lack of evidence… that has been destroyed or lost so actually proving some of these cases through that process will be very difficult.
“Therefore I think a blanket exoneration like we had with Horizon I think has got to be discussed and considered for these cases.”
The CCRC told Sky News it has five cases under review “in which the Capture IT system could be a factor”.
It also said it is “seeking further information” on eight cases referenced in the Kroll report.
Read more:
Woman who died after conviction may have suffered miscarriage of justice
Former postmaster says compensation offer is ‘insulting’
Post Office chairman ousted amid row with government
The CCRC added that the time taken for a case review to be completed was dependent on the “complexity” of each case “and how readily available information about it is”. In a statement, it admitted: “The availability of information can be a particular hurdle in older cases.”
Chris’s mother died earlier this year following a battle with Alzheimer’s and never got to clear her name
Chris Roberts’ mother, Liz Roberts, was convicted in 1999 of stealing £46,000 from the Post Office and spent 13 months behind bars.
Liz, who was in the advanced stages of Alzheimer’s disease, passed away earlier this year.
Chris said she was jailed four days before he turned 17, and he used to have “nightmares” that she was “going to die in there”.
“There was no evidence of any financial gain because they went through everything. And obviously the money wasn’t in our accounts because it didn’t exist,” he added.
Despite being offered “three deals” by the Post Office to plead guilty, Liz refused and was sent to prison.
Liz Roberts during happier times before she was jailed for theft – her son insists she was innocent
Chris believes that the 2019 High Court win by Horizon victims was a missed opportunity for the Post Office to look back at Capture cases.
“It would have been worth something then because my mum would have died knowing that everybody else knew she was innocent,” he said.
“My dad would have died knowing that the love of his life wasn’t vilified as a criminal.”
Chris wants his mother exonerated and “those actively responsible” to “stand up in court… and justify themselves”.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Sky’s Adele Robinson examines Britain’s biggest miscarriages of justice
A Department for Business and Trade spokesperson said: “We were horrified to learn about the issues with the Capture system and are working closely across government to thoroughly examine Kroll’s independent report and consider what action should be taken.
“We continue to listen to postmasters and others who have been sharing their views on the report’s findings since its publication last month.”
Official accounts have revealed for the first time how much the King’s 2023 coronation cost UK taxpayers.
According to the accounts, the government spent £72m on the coronation – the first in Britain since Queen Elizabeth II’s in 1953.
The figure includes £50.3m of costs attributed to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), which coordinated the coronation, and £21.7m in costs for the Home Office for the policing of the event.
By comparison, Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral and events during the period of national mourning cost the government an estimated £162m – £74m for the Home Office and £57m for the DCMS as well as costs to the devolved governments.
The figures come from the culture department’s recently released annual report and accounts.
The department said it had “successfully delivered on the central weekend of His Majesty King Charles III’s Coronation, enjoyed by many millions both in the UK and across the globe”.
People walk past a souvenir shop during the coronation. Pic: Reuters
It described the event as a “once-in-a-generation moment” which provided an occasion for the “entire country to come together in celebration”.
Both the King and Queen were crowned at Westminster Abbey in May last year, in a ceremony attended by dignitaries from around the world.
A star-studded concert at Windsor Castle, featuring Take That and stars such as Olly Murs, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie, took place the following night.
It had been described ahead of the event as being a “slimmed-down affair” – with the country still in the grips of the cost-of-living crisis – and accounts show an “underspend” related to the coronation of around £2.8m.
Olly Murs performing at the Coronation Concert. Pic: Reuters
Did coronation boost the economy?
Despite talk of a coronation boost, the UK’s economy actually contracted in the month of May 2023.
However, experts said that was mostly due to the cost of the additional public holiday for the event, which weighed on output.
Read more from Sky News:
British tourist dies in Laos
Storm Bert to bring snow to UK
Each bank holiday costs the UK economy around £2.3bn, with the extra bank holiday for the late Queen’s funeral estimated to have cost around £2.4bn, according to government figures.
With the extra coronation bank holiday, data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed negative growth of 0.1% during May 2023.
However, that was slightly better than economists had predicted ahead of the event.
Prior to the event, economic forecasters, the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR), had predicted a boost of £337m for the UK’s economy due to the coronation – including £104m in extra pub spending and an estimated £223m spend from tourism to the UK during the period.
Hotel revenue was also said to be up by 54% compared to the same point in the previous year, while bookings for UK-bound flights for the coronation weekend jumped by 149% within 24 hours of the day being announced, according to TravelPort.
-
Sports2 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports8 months agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports2 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports1 year agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports3 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment2 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Environment2 years agoGame-changing Lectric XPedition launched as affordable electric cargo bike
-
Business2 years agoBank of England’s extraordinary response to government policy is almost unthinkable | Ed Conway