We do have some good news to report this Sunday evening…
Richard Osborn-Brooks, the 78-year-old London man we told you about last week who was being held on suspicion of murder over the death of an alleged intruder he stabbed to death in his own home, has been cleared by the Metropolitan Police:
A 78-year-old man who was arrested following a fatal stabbing in #Lewisham has today been informed that no action will be taken. Our thoughts remain with the families whose lives have been devastated by these events. https://t.co/GT1Zf4cZNT pic.twitter.com/zJK4VJs4QJ
— Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) April 6, 2018
From the release:
Detective Chief Inspector Simon Harding, of the Met’s Homicide and Major Crime Command, said: “This is a tragic case for all of those involved. As expected with any incident where someone has lost their life, my officers carried out a thorough investigation into the circumstances of the death.
“We have approached the CPS for early investigative advice, as required under the guidance. We have received and considered that advice, and, at present – on the evidence available – we will not seek a charging decision. Therefore, no further action will be taken against the man.
Henry Vincent, the intruder, was spotted on CCTV cameras casing a different home 36 hours prior to his death:
Henry Vincent cases a house less than 36 hours before he was killed durning an attempted burglary in CCTV obtained by @TheSundayMirrorhttps://t.co/mM7EQ23VKU pic.twitter.com/IZJPQ1BkNP
— Daily Mirror (@DailyMirror) April 8, 2018
Vincent is a career criminal from a family of career criminals. From The Mirror:
Burglar Henry Vincent was a father of four and part of a large family network centred on an estate in St Mary Cray, on the border of London and Kent.
They describe themselves as travellers. In 2003 Vincent, his father Henry Senior, and uncles David, Clifford, Robert, John and Stephen were convicted of a huge cowboy builders racket.
The family admitted conning 14 victims out of £448,180, but police believe the total could have been more than £1million. One victim was persuaded to sign over her £150,000 house, having already handed over her life savings.
Vincent got four years. In 2009 he received six years for charging a pensioner £72,000 to replace one roof tile.
But the nightmare for our 78-year-old hero and his disabled wife, continues. The family is living in fear of a reprisal attack and the cops are turning the Osborn-Brooks home into a fortress:
https://twitter.com/MikkiL/status/983038750732312577
Pensioner cleared after killing burglar 'fears life in revenge attack'
https://t.co/ihzmbZEbbF— Bob For Full Brexit (@boblister_poole) April 8, 2018
Or they might not be able to move back home at all. From the Daily Mail:
While Mr Osborn-Brooks’s neighbours and friends were relieved at his exoneration yesterday, any celebrations were muted because of nervousness over his future. ‘The police have told us unofficially there’s no way he’ll be able to move back into his home with his wife,’ one told The Mail on Sunday, asking not to be named. ‘The kind of people involved in this will stop at nothing to have their vengeance.
‘It’s awful that Richard and Maureen will have to move away towards the end of their lives.’
It’s almost as if these fine folks needs something to defend themselves with just in case the police can’t be of help…
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Related:
WTF: 78-year old pensioner under arrest in London after killing armed intruder in own home https://t.co/y9mKtphGSI
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) April 4, 2018
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