Martyn Blake, the police marksman who shot and killed Chris Kaba, has been cleared of murder.
Blake, 40, faced trial at the Old Bailey after Kaba, 24, was shot through the front windscreen of an Audi Q8 in Streatham, south-east London, on September 5, 2022.
The vehicle had been involved in a shooting the night before and was blocked in by police at Kirkstall Gardens after an officer spotted its registration.
Prosecutors contended that Blake had miscalculated the danger, overstated the threat to his colleagues in statements following the shooting, and had deliberately aimed at Kaba’s head—allegations he firmly denied.
In his defence, jurors were presented with glowing character references from colleagues and senior officers.
Defence counsel Patrick Gibbs KC emphasised that Blake was no “RoboCop” with split-second, machine-like reactions.
He explained to the jury: “He is not a robot but a human being, with a human brain, who acted to the best of his ability.”
The Independent Office for Police Conduct is now set to review whether Blake should face disciplinary action.
The jury deliberated for around three hours on Monday to clear Blake who appeared to be briefly overcome with emotion as the verdict was returned.
More to follow…
