Justice secretary calls for both sides to respect Chris Kaba verdict amid growing anger
A jury acquitted Martyn Blake of the murder of Chris Kaba after deliberating for around three hours on Monday
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Justice secretary Shabana Mahmood has called for both sides to respect the verdict after a police officer was cleared of murdering a man he shot in the head in south London two years ago, sparking protests outside the Old Bailey.
She said the “due process of law has now taken place” but added that there is “work to do to build trust”.
A jury acquitted Martyn Blake of the murder of Chris Kaba after deliberating for around three hours on Monday.
Mr Kaba’s family, who sat through more than two weeks of painstaking analysis of their son’s death, pledged to “continue fighting” following the verdict.
Dozens of protesters gathered outside the Old Bailey on Monday evening as part of a justice campaign set up in Mr Kaba’s name.
Asked about the outcome of the trial on Sky News, the justice secretary said: “Clearly, it’s been a very difficult trial for everybody who’s been involved in it.
“The due process of law has now taken place. You wouldn’t expect the Lord Chancellor to comment, I think, on the specifics of those cases.
“A verdict has been given, that must be respected by all sides. I’m sure everyone involved will want to take some time to process that verdict.
“And clearly, there is some work to do to build trust, both with the police and also with communities as well, which I’m sure the home secretary will be saying more about in the coming days.”
Home secretary Yvette Cooper said she would work with forces “to strengthen confidence for the future”, while the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners said it would “reflect on the wider implications” of the case.
In a statement following the verdict, Mr Kaba’s family said: “Today, we are devastated. The not guilty verdict leaves us with the deep pain of injustice adding to the unbearable sorrow we have felt since Chris was killed.
“No family should endure the unimaginable grief we have faced. Chris was stolen from us, and this decision shows his life — and many others like him — does not matter to the system. Our son deserved better.”
Labour MP for Clapham and Brixton Hill Bell Ribeiro-Addy, who is supporting the family, said the trial showed that “nobody is above the law” and called for “urgent efforts” to rebuild trust between police and communities.
“We’ve got to respect the process and the verdict but (the family) rightfully have questions,” Ms Ribeiro-Addy, who attended the protest on Monday, added.
“I support the right to protest. I support the right people have to ask questions. It’s important we hold our officers to account. We have a system of policing with consent in this country.”
Sir Mark Rowley said Mr Blake made “a huge personal and professional sacrifice” during the two years since the shooting, Britain’s most senior officer has said.
Britain’s most senior officer said the marksman had made “a split-second decision on what he believed was necessary to protect his colleagues and to protect London”.
The Crown Prosecution Service and the watchdog that investigated the shooting both spoke out to defend bringing criminal charges, saying the decision was made after an in-depth consideration of the evidence and that it was right to put the case before a jury.
The original decision to charge Mr Blake in September last year sparked outrage among his colleagues, with dozens of armed officers downing tools in apparent protest and the army being put on standby to plug the gap.
Mr Blake, 40, stood trial at the Old Bailey after shooting the 24-year-old through the front windscreen of an Audi Q8 in Streatham, south-east London, on September 5 2022.
The trial heard how the Audi had been used as a getaway vehicle in a shooting the previous evening, and was hemmed in by police cars in Kirkstall Gardens after an officer recognised its registration number.