NEWS STORY : CPS Under Pressure over Decision to Prosecute Martyn Blake as Colleague at Scene Says Trial Shouldn’t Have Taken Place

STORY

The CPS has come under renewed and sustained pressure today to explain in more depth their decision to prosecute Martyn Blake, a firearms officer who was cleared by a jury of the killing of Chris Kaba. Shocking new evidence released today have shown that Kaba was one of the more dangerous gang members in London, he had been linked to shootings in public areas and had tried to ram police officers trying to protect themselves and the public. Robert Jenrick referred to Blake today as “a hero” and the CPS have said that they have accepted the decision of the jury.

Further pressure has been put on the CPS as the BBC has interviewed a firearms officer who was at the scene of the shooting. He told the BBC’s Today programme:

“Martyn is the most professional, assiduous, diligent police officer you will come across and he should never have been put in this position”.

He added:

“The state put Martyn Blake there that night and the state trained him to do the fearsome thing that he had to do and he should never have been named in the media.”

Shabana Mahmood, the Justice Secretary, has said that the jury’s decision that Blake was innocent “must be respected”. It was also revealed by the Guardian today that Kaba’s family had sought to extend reporting restrictions on Kaba’s previous convictions.