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Cops grilled in aftermath of club shooting
HIGH-RANKING police officers were grilled this week as an inquest heard how failures to act on specific intelligence relating to a nightclub murder was “a recipe for disaster”.
The St Pancras jury inquest heard how father-of-two Jason Fearon was murdered outside Turnmills nightclub, Clerkenwell, five days after police were told how and when the shooting would happen.
Barristers for the family questioned top officers from Operation Trident, which investigates gun crime in the black community, and Islington police, to find out how the shooting was allowed to take place after an informant named the weapons, target, venue, time and car that would be used. The informant told them “if anyone gets in the way they will be shot”.
Mr Fearon, 26, was shot outside Turnmills nightclub in April 2003, after a group of armed men stormed a side entrance and started shooting.
He was murdered as he escaped in a car alongside the intended victim.
The inquest heard how the day before the shooting was due to happen, Islington officers asked the club owners to close the venue.
But Turnmills owner Danny Newman claimed he offered to cancel the ‘Twice as Nice’ garage night – due to feature So Solid Crew star Lisa Maffia – but was told it was not necessary.
In a statement read out to the court, Mr Newman said he asked for a police presence on the night and offered to pay for more officers but was told neither would be possible.
Only an empty, marked car was left outside the club on the night.
Peter Wilcock, representing Mr Fearon’s family described Trident’s delay in passing on vital information to Islington officers as a “recipe for disaster”.
The secretive world of criminal informers and their police handlers has come under the spotlight as the jury has to decide if the police failed to act.
Coroner Dr Andrew Reid told the jury the inquest was examining the death under the European Human Rights Act. Article Two of the Act says every citizen’s right to life shall be protected by law”.
The jury is expected to return a verdict of unlawful killing today (Thursday) but can expand on the cause of death.
Dr Reid said the jury must decide if Mr Fearon died as a result of “any acts of omissions by the state”. |
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