Ladi Benson, 27, died at Broomfield Hospital on November 10 after being stabbed in the chest during a confrontation in Baddow Road, Chelmsford.
Mr Benson ran the Numero 77 shoe and clothes shop in Princes Street, Westcliff, and had lived in Southend before moving to Colchester.
His inquest was held at Chelmsford Coroner’s Court today.
*settles in with popcorn*
The court heard Mr Benson had been travelling in a Range Rover with three friends when they started arguing with a pedestrian and a man on a bike.
All six men then became involved in a fight in the street, during which Mr Benson was stabbed once in the left lung.
Lovely!
DI Daniel Stoten, of the serious crime directorate, said the “extensive investigation” had resulted in no charges because his friends refused to cooperate.
Some 'friends'...
He said: “We did get cooperation from members of the public. They gave statements and attended ID parades but they didn’t pick out anyone in those parades.
“In relation to the three people in the Range Rover and the people in the road, they have not cooperated with us at all.
“They have not given any account.
“For this reason we are not able to place the murder weapon in the hands of the person responsible.”
He added: “As a senior investigating officer, I will present hypotheses as to what happens.
“One is that he was stabbed by one of the suspects in the road. There is another hypotheses that a member of his group could have had a knife and stabbed Mr Benson is error.”
Ah. Nothing to see here, move along...
Have those who chose not to cooperate been arrested and charged with obstruction of justice? If not why not? Surely the prospect of a prison sentence would loosen a few tongues. Maybe that charge does not cover this situation. If not then I would say the law is flawed or plod is too dim to apply it.
ReplyDeleteAnother one down.
ReplyDeleteConspiracy to pervert the course of justice - maximum sentence of life imprisonment. On the other hand, why should we pay hundreds of thousands of pounds to keep them in a life of luxury when they could continue to remove each other from oxygen theft?
ReplyDeletePenseivat
*settles in with popcorn*
ReplyDeleteI can see it now.
And when not riding about in Range Rovers, do they stable piebald horses on the verges of bypasses?
ReplyDeleteJust wondering.
Then all 5 should have gone down for manslaughter.
ReplyDeleteGosh.
ReplyDeleteNo finger or palm prints on the knife - how sad.
ReplyDeleteRange Rovers do seem to hold a special attraction for crooks and try-hards.
ReplyDeleteDa-Da Dum Dum Dum,
ReplyDeleteAnother One Bites The Dust.
Don't we have that joint enterprise thingy where they all get sent down for murder and be done with it?
ReplyDelete"Have those who chose not to cooperate been arrested and charged with obstruction of justice?"
ReplyDeleteDon't be silly!
"On the other hand, why should we pay hundreds of thousands of pounds to keep them in a life of luxury when they could continue to remove each other from oxygen theft?"
So long as they stick to a method guaranteed not to harm innocent bystanders, I wish them every success!
"Range Rovers do seem to hold a special attraction for crooks and try-hards."
Well, they are big and imposing. But so are so many other luxury 4x4s. Hmm...
"Don't we have that joint enterprise thingy where they all get sent down for murder and be done with it?"
Despite the best efforts of the progressives, it does still exist.