| Wannabe in my gang?
- Articles |
06/10/03 - Residents no strangers
to cold-blooded killings
EMMA PALMER
Mercury
Mercury chief reporter EMMA PALMER looks at the
latest in a lethal list of violent crimes to have hit
our 'sleepy market town'
A father of four gunned down in broad daylight, a 29-year
old dog walker savagely attacked in the woods by a maniac
and a devoted wife shot in the back on her own driveway
- welcome to the 'sleepy town' of Hoddesdon.
That's not forgetting the young rugby player from the
town who was slaughtered to death with a samurai sword
just a few miles away.
Drive-by assassins firing automatic weapons in the middle
of a busy street - you could be forgiven for thinking
you are in LA's south central or the Bronx in New York
instead of quiet, uneventful Hoddesdon.
But the murder of gangster Dave King on Friday is the
latest in a lethal list of violent crime involving guns
and other weapons to hit the area - and with gun crime
soaring in rural towns, the question on everyone's lips
here in Hoddesdon is will it be the last?
The TV news bulletins that bombarded homes across the
country at the weekend, reported the execution of Mr King
as occurring in a "sleepy Hertfordshire market town".
But the Mercury isn't so sure this label is warranted.
Leading the investigation into the murder of the builder
from Stevenage, Chief Supt Andy Wright said: "Our
thoughts are with Mr King's family following this tragic
accident.
"I would also wish to give a measure
of reassurance to the local community that, despite the
highly distressing nature of this tragedy, it is important
to understand that this was an isolated incident and not
indicative of a general rise in offences in the Hoddesdon
area or Hertfordshire as a whole.
"Nevertheless,
it would be foolish of me not to acknowledge that the
events of Friday morning were shocking and clearly of
concern to local people."
But despite Chief Supt Wright's reassurances, the figures
are there in black and white. Violent crime, particularly
gun crime, is soaring all over the UK, but most alarmingly
it is spreading out of the city suburbs and into peaceful
countryside towns.
This week the Association of Chief Police Officers admitted
that gun crime is growing like a cancer - and particularly
spreading to smaller, rural communities such as Hoddesdon.
But Hoddesdon residents are no strangers to cold-blooded
killings.
Only three years ago the town was rocked by the brutal
murder of the wife of a wealthy Hoddesdon businessman
when she was gunned down along with her family on her
own driveway
Josephine Martorana was shot in the back as she stood
outside the executive Yewlands home she shared with her
husband Joe, on August 28, 2000.
Mrs Martorana was standing with her husband when she was
shot by cold-blooded killers Jason James and Daniel Whyte,
who then robbed the couple of their Rolex watches worth
£13,000 apiece.
The wife and mother was shot in the back and died several
weeks later in hospital. Mrs Martorana's son and his girlfriend
were also shot at point-blank range during the robbery
and spent months recovering in hospital.
The killers were caged for a total of 45 years between
them for the horrific murder, which ripped a family apart
and left the town stunned.
In 2001, the horrific samurai sword killing of Hoddesdon
man Bradley Knight hit the headlines after the culprit
was given just nine years in a young offenders' institution.
Daniel Jethoo, 20 was locked up for the manslaughter of
the tragic 23-year-old outside a pub in Waltham Cross.
Steelworker Bradley, a player for Cheshunt rugby club,
had been at a Christmas party when he was stabbed in the
chest with the 2ft long sword.
Jethoo also attacked Bradley's co-worker Peter Matthias.
Jethroo was cleared of the murder of Bradley because a
judge heard he had
been subjected to racial abuse (not involving Bradley)
before the attack that night.
He was also found guilty of wounding Peter Matthias with
intent.
But it is not just guns and knives that are worrying locals.
Violent crime in general is up.
Only hours after Mr King was killed on Friday, 29-year-old
Hoddesdon woman Jemma Day was brutally attacked as she
walked her dogs in Broxbourne Woods.
And three weeks ago the Mercury reported how 20 year-old
Branden Hewitt was left with severe head wounds after
an incident with an axe in Goffs Oak. Dean Dowler, 22,
has been charged with the attempted murder of Branden.
Last year saw a 35 per cent jump in gun crime across the
UK - which means almost 30 gun-related crimes are reported
to police each day.
Although the majority of these are, as you would expect,
committed in the major British cities such as London and
Manchester, Hertfordshire has also seen a significant
rise in the number of gun related crimes.
Between 2001 and 2002, there were 69 gun-related incidents
in Hertfordshire, compared with 4,192 in the Metropolitan
Police district and 98 in Essex
This was a big rise from the previous year when there
were just 36 offences involving firearms in Herts compared
with 2,817 in the Metropolitan Police division and 77
in Essex.
Earlier this year, Hertfordshire police held a gun amnesty
calling for anyone possessing an illegal firearm to hand
it into any police station in the county without fear
of prosecution.
In the first week of the amnesty alone, aimed at reducing
the number of weapons on the streets, a staggering 62
weapons were handed in over police counters.
Speaking at the time, Hertfordshire's Assistant Chief
Constable Simon Ash said: "The response from the
public is very encouraging and it is pleasing to see the
number of air weapons, replicas and BB (Ball-Bearing)
guns which, although legally held, have been handed in
by responsible members of the public,
"Imitation
guns and air weapons are often popular with young people.
However, anyone who carries one faces the very real possibility
of being confronted by armed police officers.
"Although Hertfordshire does not have a high number
of gun-related crimes, we have seen an increase in gun-related
incidents in recent months.
"Imitation guns
and BB guns in particular are a concern as many reports
of firearm sightings in Hertfordshire tend to involve
imitations."
Broxbourne MP Marion Roe said she would be writing to
the Prime Minister about the worrying rise in gun crime.
"This is the third killing in three years in
my constituency. I will be writing to Tony Blair to voice
my concerns about this type of crime spreading out from
London into this area. I am deeply worried about this
violence."
The Government has now introduced a mandatory five-year
minimum prison sentence for possession of an illegal firearm.
But, although the tough new measure is being welcomed
in the fight against gun crime, Friday's drama proves
this will never be enough to deter the hardened criminals
with murder on their minds. |
| Contact : bernard.omahoney@bernardomahoney.com |
|
|
|
