PC Martyn Blake, 40, said he was aiming at the central body mass of Chris Kaba, saying: ‘Obviously I was aware that the bullet would hit his body at some point but I didn’t intend to kill’
A police marksman accused of murdering fleeing driver Chris Kaba has told a jury: “I didn’t intend to kill”.
Martyn Blake, 40, said he was aiming at the central body mass of Mr Kaba, who was driving an Audi Q8 at the time, and intended only to stop the car. The 24-year-old was shot in the head in Streatham, south London on September 5 2022, dying in hospital shortly after midnight the following day. Jurors have already been told that Mr Kaba was hemmed in by police cars in Kirkstall Gardens and drove the cari forwards and backwards in an attempt to escape.
Mr Blake is accused of murder, which he denies. Members of Mr Kaba’s family were in court as the trial continued. In his second day of giving evidence at the Old Bailey, Mr Blake told the court that he had not intended to kill.
Under cross-examination by prosecutor Tom Little KC on Tuesday, Mr Blake said: “I aimed my firearm at the central body mass as we are trained to do, over the steering wheel. Obviously I was aware that the bullet would hit his body at some point but I didn’t intend to kill.” He went on: “It was the only way I thought I had at the time to stop the vehicle.”
The officer added: “If I had fired and the vehicle had stopped I would not have fired again.” Mr Little said the “supersonic” bullet, that travels at 800 metres per second, hit Mr Kaba in the head. He said: “I suggest to you that’s where you were aiming.” Mr Blake replied: “No.”
Mr Little said: “Discharge of a firearm towards the central body mass of an individual is almost inevitably going to kill them.” The marksman replied: “It does depend… It’s a possibility, I accepted that at the time, but I felt that the threat to my colleagues was such that I had to take that action at the time.”
Prosecutors claim that Mr Blake did not use the laser on his carbine as a warning to Mr Kaba, or shout “armed police, show me your hands” before he opened fire. The officer has told the jury that he did.
His claim in an initial account of what happened – that the Audi had been driven at him and a colleague – was “a very significant false statement”, Mr Little told the court. Playing footage from Mr Blake’s body worn video camera, Mr Little said: “The vehicle actually drives away from you rather than towards you.”
Mr Blake replied: “It felt like it was coming at me at the time. It certainly made me feel very uncomfortable.” Mr Little said that the revving of the Audi’s engine had stopped when the officer opened fire, and that its brake lights were on. It’s very difficult to describe an intuitive threat assessment in the heat of the moment,” Mr Blake replied. “That feeling of dread that my colleagues were about to die and that I was best placed in that position to negate that threat.”
In a statement made in the aftermath of the shooting, Mr Blake had claimed that he feared the driver of an unmarked police Volvo that was hit by the Audi when it reversed could have died. Mr Little said that this was “a gross exaggeration”.
The jury has already been told that the car was travelling at around 8mph in reverse and that the airbags in the Volvo did not go off when it was hit. Mr Blake said: “I don’t think it was a gross exaggeration, it’s these feelings that you have at the time … it’s a very dangerous situation.”
The trial continues.
