Murder of Stephen Oake

On 14 January 2003, Oake and colleagues went to Flat 4, 4 Crumpsall Lane, in the Crumpsall area of north Manchester, as part of an immigration operation. The resident was not expected to be there, but the police found three men, including Algerian illegal immigrant Kamel Bourgass, who had arrived in England in the back of a lorry three years before. Bourgass, who had attended Al-Muhajiroun meetings in the months leading up to the attack,^[4] was not immediately recognised despite being wanted in London in connection with what became known as the Wood Green ricin plot, a bioterrorism plot to attack the London Underground.^[5] He was not perceived to pose a threat and thus was not handcuffed by the officers.

However, believing that the officers had identified him in connection with the ricin plot, Bourgass made an attempt to escape and, in the process of doing so, punched one officer and picked up a kitchen knife. Oake, who was unarmed and not wearing protective clothing, went to restrain the suspect but was stabbed eight times in the chest and upper body, including one blow which penetrated his heart.^[6] Despite his extensive injuries, Oake continued trying to help his colleagues bring Bourgass under control. Three other officers suffered stab wounds before the suspect was eventually detained. Oake later died of his injuries.

Aftermath

The circumstances of Oake's murder led to debate over whether police in England and Wales should be free to handcuff any suspects, regardless of whether they pose an immediate or obvious threat of violence or escape.^[5] An inquiry into the incident criticised Oake's colleagues who led the raid for failing adequately to plan the operation.^[5]

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Images of Oake's funeral in Manchester on 25 January 2003 (BBC News)

Oake's full police funeral at Manchester Cathedral was widely publicised and attended by over 1,000 people including prime minister Tony Blair. The cortege was escorted through Manchester city centre by mounted police wearing full ceremonial dress, and Oake's coffin was carried by six former colleagues through a guard of honour into the cathedral. Proceedings inside were relayed to a crowd of hundreds outside by loudspeaker.^[7]

In 2005 the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority paid £13,000 to Oake's widow and to each of his three children, amounts which the Greater Manchester Police Federation said failed to match the sacrifice the detective had made.^[8]

A street in Manchester (53°30′02″N 2°14′47″W / 53.500419°N 2.246306°W / 53.500419; -2.246306) was renamed Stephen Oake Close in his honour.^[3] In 2006, the Police Memorial Trust unveiled a granite stone memorial to Oake in Crumpsall Lane, near the location of his murder (53°31′06″N 2°14′52″W / 53.5182853°N 2.2478478°W / 53.5182853; -2.2478478). About 150 people attended the unveiling ceremony, including his widow who had since remarried.^[9] The memorial was destroyed by vandals in March 2007 but replaced six months later. No-one was prosecuted for the memorial damage despite a £15,000 reward offered by the Manchester Evening News, Greater Manchester Police Authority, and the Police Memorial Trust.^[10]

In the years following his murder, there was debate over whether Oake should be formally recognised for his bravery in Bourgass' arrest, including a call from his chief constable for him to receive the highest civil decoration in the United Kingdom – the

Oake's father Robin is a strong evangelical Christian, as Stephen Oake was. Robin publicly forgave his son's murderer.^[15]

Bourgass's conviction and imprisonment

Kamel Bourgass was convicted at the Old Bailey on 29 June 2004 of the murder of Oake, of the attempted murder of two other officers and of the wounding of another.^[16] He had claimed he killed Oake out of fear, but was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 22 years plus an additional 15 years for the attempted murder charges.^[17][18] Bourgass appealed against the conviction, which was upheld in July 2005.^[19]

A second trial in connection with the bioterrorism plot concluded on 8 April 2005. Bourgass was convicted of conspiracy to commit a public nuisance by using poisons or explosives and handed an additional 17 years to his sentence.^[20] A charge of conspiracy to commit murder in relation to the plot was left on file after the jury failed to reach a verdict on that count. Four other men, Mouloud Sihali, David Khalef, Sidali Feddag and Mustapha Taleb, who all knew Bourgass, were tried and acquitted. A second trial for four others, Samir Asli, Khalid Alwerfeli, Mouloud Bouhrama and Kamel Merzoug was abandoned.^[21]

As of 2010^[update] Bourgass was serving his sentence at

• Wood Green ricin plot
• List of terrorist incidents in Great Britain
• List of British police officers killed in the line of duty

References