Jeremy Corbyn and Diane Abbott face calls to apologise for backing Chris Kaba as Greenwich University deletes tribute
23 October 2024, 18:24
Jeremy Corbyn and Diane Abbott have been urged to apologise for backing gangster Chris Kaba after criticising police following his death.
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A jury took just three hours to acquit firearms officer Martyn Blake of the shooting of alleged violent gangster and gunman Chris Kaba in September 2022.
It raised questions of why Mr Blake had been prosecuted in the first place, and why the court had allowed him to be named publicly.
There have since been calls for those who backed Kaba as an innocent victim of police violence to apologise.
A number of big names and charities called for "justice" following the shooting.
Former Labour Party leader Mr Corbyn said: "No family should have to go through the pain Chris Kaba's family have suffered following his killing last week. My thoughts are with them as they fight for justice and accountability for his death."
Labour MP Diane Abbott said at the time: "As the terrible fate of Chris Kaba shows, people can lose their lives even when going about their daily lives.
"Defending all our fundamental human rights is crucial under this dangerous, repressive government.
"The mainstream media have an unfortunate habit of erasing inconvenient truths when they have decided what 'the story' is, and it is amazing how often it happens to black people."
Jenrick on Kaba case
Ex-Met Police commissioner Lord Stevens said people had been too quick to compare the case to that of George Floyd in the US.
"People need to stop and think," he told the Telegraph. "I believe the liberal Left should apologise now it has come out that his background included him having been involved in a shooting and chasing a man outside a night just days before his death.
"Let’s have an acceptance of what he was and what he did."
Tory leadership hopeful Robert Jenrick said people had "all jumped on Chris Kaba's case to justify their pre-existing prejudices about the UK".
"Even now, after the firearms officer has been acquitted by a full jury and the truth about Kaba’s violent past has been revealed, baseless allegations of 'state based violence' abound," he said.
After Mr Blake was cleared, the Runnymede Trust, a charity for "racial justice', is understood to have tweeted "#JusticeForChrisKaba", and railed against "racist state violence".
The Women’s Equality Party stated: "We are holding Chris Kaba’s family and friends in our hearts today.
"It is both terrifying and outrageous to hear politicians say the police should be scrutinised less after they kill unarmed members of the public. No justice, no peace."
The University of Greenwich called for "justice" in the December after the shooting.
A now-deleted statement read: "In September, we heard the heartbreaking news of the death of Chris Kaba, a 24-year-old musician and aspiring architect who was expecting a baby with his fiancée.
"Two years ago, following the murder of George Floyd, our university committed to do more to eliminate institutional racism.
"It is essential that we all continue to be honest and humble about the challenges we face about the work that needs to be done and unapologetic in fighting for equity and social justice."
Former Tory MP Jacob Rees-Mogg hit out at Mayor of London Sadiq Khan after he was "boasting" of being in contact with the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) while investigating the shooting, despite potentially knowing of his past.
A spokesman for Mr Khan said: "As with all fatal police shootings, it is for the IOPC to independently assess the full circumstances of the case and consider whether the officer[s] concerned should face any misconduct action."
The calls for apologies come after it was revealed that armed police officers who are charged following a police shooting will remain anonymous under fresh government plans.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper announced that the assumption of anonymity would stay in place until they’ve been convicted.
Outrage was sparked over the naming of Mr Blake ahead of his trial, where he was cleared of the murder of Chris Kaba in south London.
He’s been forced into hiding, with round-the-clock protection, after Kaba’s gang placed a £10,000 bounty on his head.
As part of a review into the accountability of armed police officers – which began last year – the Home Office will also now hold a ‘rapid independent review’ into the threshold at which use of force cases against armed officers are sent to the Crown Prosecution Service.
As it stands, the IOPC watchdog would refer a case for a charging decision if there were to be any indication of criminality.
It’s a much lower threshold than is in place for members of the public, who need to have a reasonable prospect of conviction to be charged.
Chief Constable Sir Andy Marsh, College of Policing CEO, said: "Our police officers do immensely difficult work in complex, and often dangerous, situations in order to keep us, the public, safe.
"We expect officers to uphold the high standards we put in place to keep people safe and maintain the public’s confidence.
"Today’s announcement by the Home Secretary gives us the ability to improve the way policing operates so that if a member of the public is injured or killed following police action there is a national database of lessons learned which can be incorporated into future training and guidance.
"Alongside this, we must take note of the sobering reality of policing on the ground and the risk that undertaking the role often places on officers’ safety and that of their families.
"Every firearms officer in the UK undertakes that role voluntarily and I am grateful to the Government for announcing today that firearms officers will not be routinely named unless a conviction is secured in court.
"No one, including officers who carry firearms, can be above the law and it is right for communities to expect a high level of accountability.
"However, as recognised by the Home Secretary today, any system of accountability must also give officers the confidence to act in accordance with their training and to not be penalised as a result."
Dozens of marksmen stepped back from their duties after the charging, and naming, of Martyn Blake who previously was known as NX121.
A challenge by several media outlets argued he should be named in the principle of open justice and public interest, despite concerns raised about his safety.
The judge, Mark Lucraft KC, decided the risks could be managed and agreed to lift part of the anonymity order ahead of the trial.
