Chris Kaba case verdict 'must be respected,' says Justice Secretary after police officer cleared of his murder

The verdict successful the Chris Kaba lawsuit “must beryllium respected” by each sides, Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the time aft a constabulary serviceman was cleared of his murder.

The Cabinet minister, who is besides Lord Chancellor, acknowledged that determination was “work to do” to rebuild spot with the constabulary and communities successful London.

She stressed: “The owed process of instrumentality has taken its course.

“Clearly it’s been a precise hard proceedings for everybody who has been progressive successful it.

“The owed process of instrumentality has present taken place, truthful you wouldn’t expect the Lord Chancellor to remark connected the specifics of those cases.

“A verdict has been given, that indispensable beryllium respected by each sides.”

Speaking connected Sky News, she added: “I’m definite everyone progressive volition privation to instrumentality immoderate clip to process that verdict.

“Clearly, determination is immoderate enactment to bash to physique spot some with the police, and besides with communities arsenic well.”

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper would beryllium saying much connected these contented successful coming days, she added.

Ms Mahmood’s comments came arsenic campaigners and constabulary representatives are calling for reforms pursuing the acquittal of a Metropolitan Police firearms serviceman accused of Mr Kaba’s murder.

A assemblage astatine the Old Bailey acquitted Mr Blake aft astir three-and-a-half hours of deliberation connected Monday.

After the verdict connected Monday afternoon, Mr Kaba’s household said they were “devastated” and felt “the heavy symptom of injustice”.

Rank and record officers were understood to “remain astonished” that transgression charges against Mr Blake were brought, arsenic the Crown Prosecution Service and constabulary watchdog defended the decision.

The Police Federation of England and Wales said officers were “rightly asking what extortion they person erstwhile doing specified a dangerous, analyzable and demanding job”.

It comes aft much than 100 protesters gathered extracurricular the Old Bailey with Mr Kaba’s household connected Monday evening.

A banner was held that said “We Keep Each Other Safe”, arsenic good arsenic placards saying “Justice for Chris Kaba”, and chants of “Say his sanction - Chris Kaba” and “No justness - nary peace” were heard extracurricular the court.

Mr Kaba’s household said the verdict was a nonaccomplishment “for each those affected by constabulary violence”, adding that “no household should endure the unimaginable grief we person faced”.

In a connection issued by run radical Inquest, Mr Kaba’s household said they would “continue warring for Chris, for justice, and for existent change”.

Mr Kaba’s relative spoke astatine the lawsuit astir however the household had hoped for a blameworthy verdict.

She besides said they “haven’t truly begun to process” the verdict.

She spoke astir however the household watched footage showing Mr Kaba being killed astatine the commencement of the proceedings and her auntie started “shaking uncontrollably” and crying.

“Day 2 onwards up until today, my auntie sat successful that court, held it together,” she added.

“The lone happening that was shaking was her legs. She held backmost each tear.”

Labour MP for Clapham and Brixton Hill Bell Ribeiro-Addy, who is supporting the family, said the proceedings showed that “nobody is supra the law” and called for “urgent efforts” to rebuild spot betwixt constabulary and communities.

“We’ve got to respect the process and the verdict but (the family) rightfully person questions,” Ms Ribeiro-Addy, who attended the protestation connected Monday, told the PA quality agency.

“I enactment the close to protest. I enactment the close radical person to inquire questions. It’s important we clasp our officers to account. We person a strategy of policing with consent successful this country.”

The Crown Prosecution Service and the watchdog that investigated the shooting sought to support the determination to bring transgression charges against Mr Blake, saying the determination was made aft an in-depth information of the grounds and that it was close to enactment the lawsuit earlier a jury.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said she would enactment with forces “to fortify assurance for the future”, portion the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners said it would “reflect connected the wider implications” of the case.

The archetypal determination to complaint Mr Blake successful September past twelvemonth sparked outrage among his colleagues, with dozens of equipped officers downing tools successful evident protestation and the service being enactment connected standby to plug the gap.

On Monday, Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley again criticised the systems utilized to clasp constabulary officers who instrumentality lethal shots to account.

“No constabulary serviceman is supra the law, but we person been wide that the strategy holding constabulary to relationship is broken,” helium said.

“I interest astir the deficiency of enactment officers look for doing their best, but astir of all, I interest for the public.

“The much we crush the tone of bully officers, the little they tin combat transgression that risks London becoming little safe.”

But The Police Federation of England & Wales’s acting lawman nationalist chair, Brian Booth, said the “ramifications of the NX121 lawsuit going to tribunal has gone acold wider than the bound of the Metropolitan Police Service” adding that officers crossed the different 42 forces are “rightly asking what extortion they person erstwhile doing specified a dangerous, analyzable and demanding job”.

He added: “The Government indispensable present urgently instrumentality the Accountability Review recommendations truthful that ineligible safeguards tin beryllium established to let constabulary officers to person the assurance to bash their job, serving and protecting the public.”

Mr Blake, 40, stood proceedings astatine the Old Bailey aft shooting the 24-year-old done the beforehand windscreen of an Audi Q8 successful Streatham, south-east London, connected September 5 2022.

The proceedings heard however the Audi had been utilized arsenic a getaway conveyance successful a shooting the erstwhile evening, and was hemmed successful by constabulary cars successful Kirkstall Gardens aft an serviceman recognised its registration number.

Mr Kaba drove backwards and forwards trying to ram his mode free, which Mr Blake told jurors made him judge 1 of his colleagues was astir to die, truthful helium opened occurrence to halt the car.

Prosecutors argued that Mr Blake had misjudged the risk, exaggerated the menace to his colleagues successful statements pursuing the shooting, and had aimed astatine Mr Kaba’s head, each of which helium denied.

In his defence, jurors heard a bid of glowing testimonials from colleagues and elder officers.

Police watchdog the Independent Office for Police Conduct volition present see whether Mr Blake should look a disciplinary hearing.