Christopher Alaneme
Encyclopedia
Christopher Alaneme is a British
murder
victim. He was eighteen years old when he was murdered on April 21, 2006 in Sheerness
, Kent
, England
. The convicted killer was Peter Connolly, a painter and decorator of Carisbrooke Gardens, Peckham
.
, Kent, on 1 October 1987. His parents, Gabriel and Agatha Alaneme moved from Nigeria
to live in Britain in the 1970s. He had two sisters, Jane, 16, and Grace, 12, and in their early years they lived in Bromley
, south-east London
. Alaneme left London to escape the violence of the big city and pursue a new life in a quiet coastal town.
He was a family friend of Kele Okereke
, singer and guitarist of the band Bloc Party
, who wrote their song "Where Is Home?
" about his murder and dedicated it to him.
The eighteen-year-old died from a fatal wound to his abdomen
. The five men charged with his murder were Londoners who had travelled to Kent that day to stay at a caravan park. They had spent the evening drinking in pubs in Sheerness before crossing the path of Alaneme and his friends in the street at around midnight.
Maidstone Crown Court also heard one of the five white men make a racist
remark about Alaneme after coming across him following a night's heavy drinking, during which some had taken cocaine
. When the black teenager's white friends objected, the gang chased and surrounded Alaneme, fatally stabbing him in his liver
, it was alleged.
who got caught up in their "indiscriminate" violence, the court heard, was also knifed
.
Davies, who was out celebrating his birthday
, was stabbed five times as he got up from a bench outside the Bar One pub to see what was going on. He received severe injuries which have left him with medical problems he will face for the rest of his life.
released that a man was arrested over 'gang stabbing' and they believed there were at least four people involved in the attack. On April 26 two men were arrested on suspicion of murder and attempted murder
, while police are looking for three other men, possibly from London, in connection with the incident.
In early May four men, arrested on suspicion of murder and attempted murder, were released on bail. The police still wished to speak to Peter Connolly and were urging anyone who knew of his whereabouts to contact them.
On September 12, 200 five men were charged with the murder of teenager Christopher Alaneme, who was stabbed in Kent. The defendant
s were Peter Connolly, 29, a painter and decorator, of Carisbrooke Gardens, Peckham; Andrew Giblin, 26, a bank worker, of Bromyard House, Commercial Way, Peckham; Terence Beaney, 23, a plasterer, of Rideout Street, Woolwich
; and brothers Sean Duhig, 23, and Gerry Duhig, 27, both plasterers, of Melbury Drive, Camberwell
.
On September 29, 2006, Gerry Duhig, 27, of Camberwell, south London, was given conditional bail after an in-chambers application at
Maidstone Crown Court. Four other men remain in custody at Belmarsh Prison
after an earlier hearing, accused of fatally stabbing the teenager in Sheerness, in April.
On November 27, 2006 all five men, who are from south east London, pleaded not guilty to murder at Maidstone Crown Court, before a trial date was set for 1 October 2007.
Three men, Peter Connolly, 29, Andrew Giblin, 27, and Terance Beaney, 24, also denied a charge of wounding with intent. They were remanded in custody.
Sean and Gerry Duhig, brothers aged 23 and 27, remain on conditional bail.
On October 9, 2007 Connolly, Giblin and Beaney were also charged with wounding with intent after the stabbing of Davies.
On November 20, 2007 brothers Sean and Gerry Duhig were cleared of murdering Christopher Alaneme. Three other men from London still standing trial accused of Alaneme's murder. Beaney, Giblin, and Connolly, all deny the charge. They also pleaded not guilty to another charge of wounding with intent. That charge relates to taxi driver Mark Davies, 29, who survived being stabbed.
It also led to a public inquiry, chaired by Sir William Macpherson of Cluny, whose report forced the police and other public bodies to change the way they deal with race issues, hate crime
s and murders. But despite the undoubted improvements made in the investigation and handling of racist crime, the number of race-hate incidents reported to the police has continued to grow. Chief constables have argued that the rise in reported racist incidents is a positive development and reflects ethnic minorities' growing confidence in the police to deal with their complaints in a sympathetic and even-handed manner. Last year there were more than 59,000 racist incidents reported to the police, a rise of 12 per cent on the previous year. But the true scale of the problem is far higher. The British Crime Survey
estimates that there are more than 200,000 racially motivated incidents every year.
Although there were racial connotations to the events of 21 April, and there was no dispute that racist remarks had been made, the judge, who could have imposed an additional tariff for racial aggravation, determined at a sentencing hearing that this was not a clear racial crime. Because the remarks had not been uttered by Connolly and Connolly had gone on to attack a White man, the judge could not be satisfied that racism was the specific motivation in the murder.
A week later, on October 9, 2007, the prosecutor
said: "This case isn't about a late night punch up, it's about a group of five friends who in two separate incidents closed in on unarmed men, causing serious injuries to one and death to the other." He added: "These pitiless stabbings were completely without a semblance of justification."
On December 10, 2007 Connolly was found guilty of killing Alaneme. He was also found guilty of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm
to taxi driver Mark Davies. Giblin and Beaney were cleared of all charges at Maidstone Crown Court.
The judge ordered the jury to return a not guilty verdict regarding the Duhig brothers.
On sentencing, Judge Mr Justice Goldring told Connolly: "From the beginning you have not shown the slightest remorse. You sought to mislead the police." With regard to the knife, the judge said: "You must have contemplated its use."
The jury heard how Connolly, who had been visiting Sheerness for the weekend, took drugs and drank heavily, before setting out into Sheerness town centre, already carrying the weapon that killed Alaneme and severely injured Davies. He was sentenced to a minimum of 15 years for murdering Christopher Alaneme, and sentenced for 10 years, to run concurrently, for wounding Davies.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
victim. He was eighteen years old when he was murdered on April 21, 2006 in Sheerness
Sheerness
Sheerness is a town located beside the mouth of the River Medway on the northwest corner of the Isle of Sheppey in north Kent, England. With a population of 12,000 it is the largest town on the island....
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The convicted killer was Peter Connolly, a painter and decorator of Carisbrooke Gardens, Peckham
Peckham
Peckham is a district in south London, England, located in the London Borough of Southwark. It is situated south-east of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London...
.
Biography
Christopher was born at Farnborough Hospital in OrpingtonOrpington
Orpington is a suburban town and electoral ward in the London Borough of Bromley. It forms the southeastern edge of London's urban sprawl and is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.-History:...
, Kent, on 1 October 1987. His parents, Gabriel and Agatha Alaneme moved from Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
to live in Britain in the 1970s. He had two sisters, Jane, 16, and Grace, 12, and in their early years they lived in Bromley
Bromley
Bromley is a large suburban town in south east London, England and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Bromley. It was historically a market town, and prior to 1963 was in the county of Kent and formed the administrative centre of the Municipal Borough of Bromley...
, south-east London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Alaneme left London to escape the violence of the big city and pursue a new life in a quiet coastal town.
He was a family friend of Kele Okereke
Kele Okereke
Kelechukwu "Kele" Rowland Okereke is a British musician, best known as the lead singer and rhythm guitarist of the indie rock band Bloc Party.-Early life:...
, singer and guitarist of the band Bloc Party
Bloc Party
Bloc Party are a British Indie rock band, composed of Kele Okereke , Russell Lissack , Gordon Moakes , and Matt Tong...
, who wrote their song "Where Is Home?
A Weekend In The City
A Weekend in the City is the second studio album by British indie rock band Bloc Party. It was recorded at Grouse Lodge Studios in Westmeath, Ireland, in mid-2006 and was produced by Jacknife Lee. The record was refined and mixed at several locations in London at the end of 2006...
" about his murder and dedicated it to him.
The eighteen-year-old died from a fatal wound to his abdomen
Abdomen
In vertebrates such as mammals the abdomen constitutes the part of the body between the thorax and pelvis. The region enclosed by the abdomen is termed the abdominal cavity...
. The five men charged with his murder were Londoners who had travelled to Kent that day to stay at a caravan park. They had spent the evening drinking in pubs in Sheerness before crossing the path of Alaneme and his friends in the street at around midnight.
Maidstone Crown Court also heard one of the five white men make a racist
Racism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
remark about Alaneme after coming across him following a night's heavy drinking, during which some had taken cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
. When the black teenager's white friends objected, the gang chased and surrounded Alaneme, fatally stabbing him in his liver
Liver
The liver is a vital organ present in vertebrates and some other animals. It has a wide range of functions, including detoxification, protein synthesis, and production of biochemicals necessary for digestion...
, it was alleged.
Mark Davies
In the space of 90 seconds, Mark Davies, an off-duty taxi driverTaxi Driver
Taxi Driver is a 1976 American drama film directed by Martin Scorsese and written by Paul Schrader. The film is set in New York City, soon after the Vietnam War. The film stars Robert De Niro and features Jodie Foster, Harvey Keitel, and Cybill Shepherd. The film was nominated for four Academy...
who got caught up in their "indiscriminate" violence, the court heard, was also knifed
Stabbing
A stabbing is penetration with a sharp or pointed object at close range. Stab connotes purposeful action, as by an assassin or murderer, but it is also possible to accidentally stab oneself or others.Stabbing differs from slashing or cutting in that the motion of the object used in a stabbing...
.
Davies, who was out celebrating his birthday
Birthday
A birthday is a day or anniversary where a person celebrates his or her date of birth. Birthdays are celebrated in numerous cultures, often with a gift, party or rite of passage. Although the major religions celebrate the birth of their founders , Christmas – which is celebrated widely by...
, was stabbed five times as he got up from a bench outside the Bar One pub to see what was going on. He received severe injuries which have left him with medical problems he will face for the rest of his life.
Police investigations
The day after the murder of Alaneme, the policePolice
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
released that a man was arrested over 'gang stabbing' and they believed there were at least four people involved in the attack. On April 26 two men were arrested on suspicion of murder and attempted murder
Attempted murder
Attempted murder is a crime in England and Wales and Northern Ireland.-Today:In English criminal law, attempted murder is the crime of more than merely preparing to commit unlawful killing and at the same time having a specific intention to cause the death of human being under the Queen's Peace...
, while police are looking for three other men, possibly from London, in connection with the incident.
In early May four men, arrested on suspicion of murder and attempted murder, were released on bail. The police still wished to speak to Peter Connolly and were urging anyone who knew of his whereabouts to contact them.
On September 12, 200 five men were charged with the murder of teenager Christopher Alaneme, who was stabbed in Kent. The defendant
Defendant
A defendant or defender is any party who is required to answer the complaint of a plaintiff or pursuer in a civil lawsuit before a court, or any party who has been formally charged or accused of violating a criminal statute...
s were Peter Connolly, 29, a painter and decorator, of Carisbrooke Gardens, Peckham; Andrew Giblin, 26, a bank worker, of Bromyard House, Commercial Way, Peckham; Terence Beaney, 23, a plasterer, of Rideout Street, Woolwich
Woolwich
Woolwich is a district in south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.Woolwich formed part of Kent until 1889 when the County of London was created...
; and brothers Sean Duhig, 23, and Gerry Duhig, 27, both plasterers, of Melbury Drive, Camberwell
Camberwell
Camberwell is a district of south London, England, and forms part of the London Borough of Southwark. It is a built-up inner city district located southeast of Charing Cross. To the west it has a boundary with the London Borough of Lambeth.-Toponymy:...
.
On September 29, 2006, Gerry Duhig, 27, of Camberwell, south London, was given conditional bail after an in-chambers application at
Maidstone Crown Court. Four other men remain in custody at Belmarsh Prison
Belmarsh (HM Prison)
HM Prison Belmarsh is a Category A men's prison, located in the Thamesmead area of the London Borough of Greenwich, in south-east London, England. Belmarsh Prison is operated by Her Majesty's Prison Service...
after an earlier hearing, accused of fatally stabbing the teenager in Sheerness, in April.
On November 27, 2006 all five men, who are from south east London, pleaded not guilty to murder at Maidstone Crown Court, before a trial date was set for 1 October 2007.
Three men, Peter Connolly, 29, Andrew Giblin, 27, and Terance Beaney, 24, also denied a charge of wounding with intent. They were remanded in custody.
Sean and Gerry Duhig, brothers aged 23 and 27, remain on conditional bail.
On October 9, 2007 Connolly, Giblin and Beaney were also charged with wounding with intent after the stabbing of Davies.
On November 20, 2007 brothers Sean and Gerry Duhig were cleared of murdering Christopher Alaneme. Three other men from London still standing trial accused of Alaneme's murder. Beaney, Giblin, and Connolly, all deny the charge. They also pleaded not guilty to another charge of wounding with intent. That charge relates to taxi driver Mark Davies, 29, who survived being stabbed.
Racism
Police say Alaneme, who was black, was racially abused before the attack. "After speaking to witnesses, we believe there were words said prior to the incident that suggest racial motivation was a factor," said Supt Steve Corbishley.It also led to a public inquiry, chaired by Sir William Macpherson of Cluny, whose report forced the police and other public bodies to change the way they deal with race issues, hate crime
Hate crime
In crime and law, hate crimes occur when a perpetrator targets a victim because of his or her perceived membership in a certain social group, usually defined by racial group, religion, sexual orientation, disability, class, ethnicity, nationality, age, gender, gender identity, social status or...
s and murders. But despite the undoubted improvements made in the investigation and handling of racist crime, the number of race-hate incidents reported to the police has continued to grow. Chief constables have argued that the rise in reported racist incidents is a positive development and reflects ethnic minorities' growing confidence in the police to deal with their complaints in a sympathetic and even-handed manner. Last year there were more than 59,000 racist incidents reported to the police, a rise of 12 per cent on the previous year. But the true scale of the problem is far higher. The British Crime Survey
British Crime Survey
The British Crime Survey or BCS is a systematic victim study, currently carried out by BMRB Limited on behalf of the Home Office. The BCS seeks to measure the amount of crime in England and Wales by asking around 50,000 people aged 16 and over , living in private households, about the crimes they...
estimates that there are more than 200,000 racially motivated incidents every year.
Although there were racial connotations to the events of 21 April, and there was no dispute that racist remarks had been made, the judge, who could have imposed an additional tariff for racial aggravation, determined at a sentencing hearing that this was not a clear racial crime. Because the remarks had not been uttered by Connolly and Connolly had gone on to attack a White man, the judge could not be satisfied that racism was the specific motivation in the murder.
Peter Connolly's trial and sentence
On October 1, 2007 the trial of Connolly started.A week later, on October 9, 2007, the prosecutor
Prosecutor
The prosecutor is the chief legal representative of the prosecution in countries with either the common law adversarial system, or the civil law inquisitorial system...
said: "This case isn't about a late night punch up, it's about a group of five friends who in two separate incidents closed in on unarmed men, causing serious injuries to one and death to the other." He added: "These pitiless stabbings were completely without a semblance of justification."
On December 10, 2007 Connolly was found guilty of killing Alaneme. He was also found guilty of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm
Grievous bodily harm
Grievous bodily harm is a term of art used in English criminal law which has become synonymous with the offences that are created by sections 18 and 20 of the Offences against the Person Act 1861....
to taxi driver Mark Davies. Giblin and Beaney were cleared of all charges at Maidstone Crown Court.
The judge ordered the jury to return a not guilty verdict regarding the Duhig brothers.
On sentencing, Judge Mr Justice Goldring told Connolly: "From the beginning you have not shown the slightest remorse. You sought to mislead the police." With regard to the knife, the judge said: "You must have contemplated its use."
The jury heard how Connolly, who had been visiting Sheerness for the weekend, took drugs and drank heavily, before setting out into Sheerness town centre, already carrying the weapon that killed Alaneme and severely injured Davies. He was sentenced to a minimum of 15 years for murdering Christopher Alaneme, and sentenced for 10 years, to run concurrently, for wounding Davies.