Reggae star's death a revelation in trial

Suicide is the most tragic form of death and so many people are hurt … perhaps for the rest of their lives.

Reggae star 'Smiley Culture' was alleged to have killed himself, with a knife, after a police raid on his Surrey mansion on 15 March last year.

Now Croydon Crown Court heard that he allegedly masterminded a £400,000 cocaine supply plot from his Warlingham home.

The trial of his alleged conspirators was told on Monday (17 January, 2012) that the singer - whose real name was David Emanuel - was charged and on bail when he allegedly stabbed himself through the heart on March 15 last year during a police drugs raid at his home.

Prejudicing anyone’s trial is a criminal offence in itself, but I recall that days after the raid, “a meeting between top Metropolitan police officers and members of the public descended into chaos and tears, as family and friends of the dead pop star Smiley Culture accused senior police chiefs of being "murderers". From www.guardian.co.uk 31 March, 2011.

The report goes on, “a former senior adviser to the former London Mayor Ken Livingstone also warned that the black community in Brixton was at "boiling point" after the 48-year-old pop star's ‘bizarre’ death in police custody two weeks ago.”

Yes, the death was bizarre.  It was also a tragedy. But to borrow a buzzword, we didn’t know the whole ‘narrative’.  We still don’t – the trial continues yourlocalguardian.co.uk

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Yeugh cult!

Image
Everyone knows so-called 'probiotic drinks are sugar and water masquerading as health food.  And that great customer relations is about listening to what people are saying.  So how do you explain this - below - from the distributors of Yakult in response to my mate 'Nutters's’ complaint?? First, I'd better explain that the milkman left 24 free samples of this expensive confection at 'Nutters's' place of work.  'Nutters' didn't ask for them ... didn't welcome them and told Mr Yakult as much. You will notice that Yakult's careful, official, line is not to claim health benefits, just the weasel words about ‘positive outcomes’.  I shall be following this up at some reputable sources, including Quack Watch and Bad Science. Watch this space. Here's the official response: Subject: RE: Yakult freebies Dear , Thank you for your email; I am very sorry that you were disappointed with your recent free delivery of Yakult. Just to give you so
Read more

Mick Woollett, a true gent.

Mick, a proper gent – I’ll miss him Mick Woollett (easy to remember the name, double everything except ‘e’ and ‘w’) died on Monday.   He was my editor at Motor Cycle Weekly in the ‘seventies and early ‘eighties.   He was mature in every sense of the word, made editor in his early fifties and a proper gentleman, having to work with an office-full of (mostly) youngsters. He never lost his cool, was unfailingly courteous, never swore and was always perfectly mannered.   Extraordinary. I plan to get a lot more off my chest about Mick, but for the moment I’ll leave you with this, true, story from, about 1982. MCW had one mouthy sub, a Kiwi called Brendan who was always shouting off about everything.   He knew everything, was witty, but packed full of bluster and b**s**.   In the run-up to the Daytona Speed Week one year he’d been shouting the odds about how HE ought to join the team because of all his experience, skills and how he’d do a better job than the usual, highl
Read more