Police boss backed release of Chris Kaba’s gang links to reduce chance of unrest
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Stuart Cundy said the public should be ‘as well informed as is possible’ about the background of the case.
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A senior police officer backed the public release of details of Chris Kaba’s gang links on the grounds it would reduce the chance of disorder breaking out.
Metropolitan Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner Stuart Cundy said in a court statement that there would be less support for “anti-police violence” if full details were released.
He said that while the majority of protests following the verdict would be peaceful, there was the chance of disorder being caused by a small number of people hostile to the police.
Mr Kaba’s family have stressed that they wish any demonstrations in support of their son to remain peaceful.
The Met will have to deal with three protests due to take place in central London on Saturday, one organised by United Families and Friends Campaign, with supporters of the justice campaign for Chris Kaba encouraged to attend.
One other unrelated demonstration is being held by supporters of Tommy Robinson, who has returned to the UK from Cyprus despite a warrant being issued for his arrest.
And Stop the War campaigners are also set to gather in opposition to Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon.
Met police marksman Martyn Blake, 40, was cleared of murder by a jury in just over three hours at the Old Bailey on Monday.
The fact that Mr Kaba was a member of the 67 gang, and had been accused of involvement in two shootings in the week before he died, was not put before the jury on the grounds that it was not relevant.
Police officers at the scene did not know who was driving the Audi Q8 when it was followed and stopped, only that it had been used as a getaway car from a shooting the night before.
On Tuesday Mr Justice Goss lifted reporting restrictions to allow the media to reveal publicly details of the accusations against Mr Kaba and his previous convictions.
As part of the hearing before the judge’s ruling, Mr Cundy submitted a statement to say that the public would be left with “a misleading impression” without the full information being published after the trial, with “clear potential for emotions tipping into disorder”.
If the bad character evidence is not disclosed at the conclusion of the trial, then the local community would be given a misleading impression about who Mr Kaba was
He wrote: “It is the Metropolitan Police’s assessment that the open and transparent public disclosure of Mr Kaba’s character at the conclusion of the R v Blake trial will significantly reduce the risk of unrest on the streets of London and help keep the public safe.”
Dozens of protesters came to the Old Bailey on Monday evening following the verdict for a peaceful gathering calling for justice for Mr Kaba.
Turning to protests that may take place in the coming days, Mr Cundy said: “The Metropolitan Police Service assessment is that the majority of those attending such protests will do so peacefully, but there is a risk of disorder from a small number of participants based on hostility towards the police.
“Our assessment is that if the information in relation to Mr Kaba’s character is shared with the public, those who would seek to provoke anti-police violence would gain less support and the overall likelihood of disorder and the risk to public safety would reduce.”
He also highlighted the fact that the shooting took place in Lambeth, an area where trust in the police is low and that has previously been a flashpoint for disorder.
Mr Cundy said it was “vital that members of the community are as well informed as is possible in relation to the circumstances of this case”.
He argued that reporting full details could alleviate concerns that Mr Kaba may have been targeted because he was black.
“If the bad character evidence is not disclosed at the conclusion of the trial, then the local community would be given a misleading impression about who Mr Kaba was, how he came to be stopped by the police and the necessity for armed police deployments to confront criminal gangs who are involved in armed criminality,” Mr Cundy said.