Martyn Blake, a police officer, has been cleared of the murder of Chris Kaba. Kaba was shot during a police stop in south London in 2022 while driving a car that had been connected to a previous shooting. When the verdict was announced, Mr. Blake was “overcome with emotion,” according to the Daily Mirror. The Kaba family reacted with dismay. They argue that the decision has left them suffering from the “deep pain of injustice” and that they intend to continue to fight.
The Metro reports that it took the jury at the Old Bailey three hours to reach a unanimous not guilty verdict after a three-week trial. According to the Guardian, the jury’s decision has fuelled police frustration that Mr Blake ever faced trial, and police leaders are now urging the government to make it more difficult for this to happen again. They claim police personnel have too often been punished for doing their job.
The Daily Telegraph reports that Mr Kaba tried to ram his way through a police roadblock, and Mr Blake testified that he genuinely believed one of his colleagues could be killed during the incident. Leadership contender Robert Jenrick criticised Mr Blake’s prosecution and referred to him as a “hero” in the same article.
The Times quoted Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley as saying that “no firearms officer sets out on duty intent on ending a life.” He went on to say that “the more we crush the spirit of good officers, the less they can fight crime.” Following his acquittal, Mr Blake’s suspension from duties was immediately lifted.
Meanwhile, two million people, including teachers and nurses, may be forced to pay the 40% income tax rate by the decade’s end, according to the i newspaper. Chancellor Rachel Reeves is reportedly considering extending the 2022 tax thresholds freeze until the parliamentary term’s conclusion in an effort to address the country’s budget deficit.
According to the Financial Times, an examination of projected workplace reforms by the government suggests that the changes could cost businesses £5bn each year. Measures contained in the employment rights bill include prohibiting zero-hours contracts, as well as granting unions access to workplaces, among other things. The British Chambers of Commerce warned that businesses run the risk of being suffocated under spiraling costs amidst a mountain of additional expenditure
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