Police marksman Martyn Blake was acquitted of murdering Chris Kaba, who was shot dead in London while sat in a car with his hands on the wheel
Chris Kaba, shot dead by a Metropolitan Police firearms officer, had been embroiled in a life of gangs and guns.
But the jury that acquitted Martyn Blake of murder was quite properly not told that, six days before the rapper was killed, he allegedly gunned down a rival gang member.
Their verdict was therefore based purely on whether they thought the evidence presented to them showed Blake committed a crime. Now all must accept the verdict while acknowledging this tragic case has no winners.
Kaba’s mother has lost a son and his family and friends are grieving, while parts of Britain’s Black community feel they are denied justice.
Officer Blake and his family have been through an ordeal of their own and police officers, particularly those carrying guns, often feel undervalued and at risk.
Police must be held to account when people die but nobody should rush to judgment.
End the greed
The new Labour government must tell greedy privatised water companies to stop fleecing customers and start plugging leaks with the money they have already charged.
Environment Secretary Steve Reed and regulator Ofwat will face fury if they let these pirates put up prices even higher, after a fortune has already been siphoned off into the pockets of fatcat bosses and owners, all while they amassed piles of debt.
Polluting rivers, lakes and coastlines with sewage after failing to invest properly is why much of the public support renationalising water to run it in our interests, not those of speculators – many of whom are based abroad.
This is a touchstone issue where Labour must pick a side, championing either bill payers or the grasping companies.
