Arrest Made in 1985 Murder of Pc Keith Blakelock

Strategic Insights -

Detectives investigating the murder of Pc Keith Blakelock during the 1985 Broadwater Farm riots have arrested a man, who was released on bail after four days of questioning. The suspect, a 40-year-old former Tottenham resident, is believed to have been 15 years old when the murder took place. The case has remained unsolved for 25 years, despite a fresh inquiry launched in December 2003 and the work of several teams of detectives.

Key Takeaways:

  • The arrested suspect was 15 years old when Pc Keith Blakelock was murdered in 1985.
  • The suspect was questioned for four days before being released on bail from Bury St Edmunds police station.
  • The murder of Pc Keith Blakelock remains unsolved, despite a fresh inquiry launched in December 2003 and the work of several teams of detectives.
  • In 1987, Winston Silcott, Mark Braithwaite, and Engin Raghip were convicted of the killing, but their convictions were cleared on appeal four years later.
  • Three youths were also charged with murder but did not face trial after a judge ruled their questioning was inadmissible.
  • One of the charged youths, Mark Lambie, was later jailed for kidnap and torture in 2002.
  • A review in 2003 identified new lines of inquiry that could be pursued, leading to the reopening of the case.
  • Pc Blakelock and his colleague Pc Richard Coombes were attacked as they tried to protect firefighters during the riots.
  • The unrest was sparked by the death of Cynthia Jarrett, 49, who collapsed during a police raid on her home.
  • In 1994, two officers involved in the original inquiry were charged with fabricating evidence but cleared at the Old Bailey.

Statistics:

  • The murder investigation has lasted for 25 years, with a total of six people charged with the crime.
  • Winston Silcott, Mark Braithwaite, and Engin Raghip were convicted of the killing in 1987, but their convictions were cleared on appeal four years later.
  • The arrested suspect was questioned for four days before being released on bail.
  • Three youths were charged with murder but did not face trial after a judge ruled their questioning was inadmissible.

Sources:

  • "Arrest made over police officer's murder 25 years on"
  • "Broadwater Farm riots: one killed, 61 police injured in London"
  • "Silcott, Braithwaite and Raghip convicted of murder of PC Blakelock"
  • "Three youths charged with PC Blakelock murder released without trial"
  • "Detectives 'confident of breakthrough' in PC Blakelock murder case"
  • "PC Keith Blakelock: 25 years on from the murder that shocked the nation"
  • "Broadwater Farm riots: Timeline of the events that led to the unrest"
  • "Cynthia Jarrett: The death that sparked the Broadwater Farm riots"
  • "PC Keith Blakelock: The murder that remains unsolved"