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You are here: Home / Cold Case News / Jacobs not guilty of Blakelock murder

Jacobs not guilty of Blakelock murder

April 9, 2014 By Alice

Keith Blakelock
Keith Blakelock

Nicholas Jacobs was found not guilty of the Blakelock murder during the 1985 Broadwater Farm Riots. From the Huffington Post: “Nicky Jacobs, who was 16 at the time, went on trial at the Old Bailey accused of being one of the rioters who together stabbed the officer more than 40 times and tried to decapitate him.

There were cheers from the public gallery as the verdicts were returned by the jury of five women and seven men, who took just six hours to clear the 45-year-old.

Following the verdict, Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley said: “No matter how difficult an investigation it has been to carry out – given the many years that have passed, the lack of forensic evidence and CCTV plus the main witnesses to Keith murder’s being those taking part in the riot – it was important we exhausted every possible lead we could. 

We will not give up on bringing Keith’s killers to justice. There are people who know exactly who took part in the attack on Keith and people who took part themselves.

“It is not too late for you to come forward. Almost 30 years on, people’s’ lives are very different, their allegiances broken or shifted. Help us now.”

From what I read, the prosecution brought jail house snitches to the stand and others whose credibility were in question. I did not read anything about the knife found or whether there have been any new forensic results. I am not surprised by this outcome. As much as I feel for the Blakelock family, you cannot convict if you have credibility issues and lack the hard evidence to tie a man to the crime.

Pc Keith Blakelock, a 40-year-old father of three, was murdered by a machete-wielding gang during the Broadwater Farm Riots in Tottenham, North London, in October 1985. Pc Blakelock and his colleague, Pc Richard Coombes were attacked as they tried to protect firefighters as violence spiralled on the estate. The unrest was sparked by the death of Cynthia Jarrett, 49, who collapsed during a police raid on her home.

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Filed Under: Cold Case News Tagged With: Autopsy, Broadwater Farm Riots, Forensics, Knife Attack, machette, Nicholas Jacobs, Pc Keith Blakelock, UK, Unsolved Homicide

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Author Notes

I am a true crime writer raising awareness for old unsolved cases from the pre-DNA era that are in need of renewed media attention. I do not actively investigate these cases. I leave that to the professionals.

My posts are about homicides, missing and unidentified people, wrongful convictions, and forensics as related to old cases.

I review books but only select works of true crime, crime fiction, and historical fiction and/or mysteries.

My database has more than 289 cases listed by the victim’s last name. You will find a brief description there as well.

All case suggestions that come in by email for writing considerations are added to my to-do list in the order in which they were received. Please be patient as my to-do list is very long.

If you have any questions about my website please check the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page, the about page, and the tabs in both menu bars. If you still cannot find the answer there, please contact me.

Thank you, Alice de Sturler

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Copyright: Please add a link back if you use my work. Let your readers know where you found your information. I do the same for you. If you need help with this, just contact me. Thank you, Alice de Sturler

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