Colin Roach
Encyclopedia
Colin Roach was a 21-year-old black British
man who died from a gunshot wound
at the entrance to Stoke Newington
police station
, in the London Borough of Hackney
, on 12 January 1983. Amid allegations of a police cover-up
, the case became a cause célèbre
for civil rights campaigners and black community groups in the United Kingdom
. Prior to Roach's death, Hackney Black People's Association had been calling for a public inquiry into policing in the area, alleging that there existed a culture of police brutality
, wrongful detention of black people, racial harassment, and racially motivated "stopping and searching
." Ernie Roberts, the MP
for Hackney North and Stoke Newington, said that there had been "a complete breakdown of faith and credibility in the police" in the area and the Commission for Racial Equality
called for a full inquiry into both the death of Roach and the policing in Hackney generally. In June 1983 a coroner's jury returned a majority verdict of suicide
. INQUEST, the United Kingdom pressure group
founded following the death of Blair Peach
at the hands of a police officer in April 1979, was highly critical of the coroner's directions to the jury, and said that he had wrongly pointed them towards a verdict of suicide.
who was called to Colin Roach's corpse in the foyer of the police station said that the body position was inconsistent with suicide. The shotgun with which he was killed could not be fitted into the sports bag Roach had with him, not even when broken down. No fibers from the bag were found on the gun and no oil from the gun was found in the bag. When a shotgun is used for suicide the recoil damages and sometimes breaks the trigger thumb. No injury was found to Roach's hand at all. The recoiling gun will normally hit a wall or floor very hard but no marks from this were found in the police station foyer or on the gun butt.
On the other side of the argument there were no marks on Roach's mouth consistent with a gun being forced into it.
The man who drove Roach to the police station saw no gun or bulge. He said that Roach was very frightened and saw him walk into the police station.
Two police officers who were believed to be present at the police station claimed not to have been there, there were irregularities in the records for who was present.
Roach's death spurred protests and demands for an independent public inquiry. Such an inquiry did not take place, although police did conduct an inquest
into the incident.
"I got down to London
and what did I see? One thousand policemen all over the street, The people were shouting and looking at me, They say 'the Colin Roach family demand an enquiry'"
In Sinéad O'Connor
's I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got
album sleeve, there is a picture of what appears to be Colin Roach's parents holding vigil by his picture, suggesting O'Connor's song "Black Boys on Mopeds" was inspired by Roach's murder. However, the lyrics refer to "police who kill Black boys on mopeds". Although she writes 'black boys' indicating plural, the song references a incident involving a single black youth, Nicholas Bramble. On 17 May 1989, police pursued Bramble apparently under the suspicion he had stolen the moped he was riding (it was his own). In the attempt to evade police, Bramble lost control and crashed. His death was ruled accidental. O'Connor's lyrics take the stance that police initially suspected Bramble only because he was black.
Benjamin Zephaniah
composed a poem entitled "Who Killed Colin Roach?"
Colin Roach's death is also mention in a track by the Ragga Twins
entitled "The Iron Lady"
The Colin Roach Centre, a community centre, was set up in Hackney to commemorate the death.
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
man who died from a gunshot wound
Ballistic trauma
The term ballistic trauma refers to a form of physical trauma sustained from the discharge of arms or munitions. The most common forms of ballistic trauma stem from firearms used in armed conflicts, civilian sporting and recreational pursuits, and criminal activity.-Destructive effects:The degree...
at the entrance to Stoke Newington
Stoke Newington
Stoke Newington is a district in the London Borough of Hackney. It is north-east of Charing Cross.-Boundaries:In modern terms, Stoke Newington can be roughly defined by the N16 postcode area . Its southern boundary with Dalston is quite ill-defined too...
police station
Police station
A police station or station house is a building which serves to accommodate police officers and other members of staff. These buildings often contain offices and accommodation for personnel and vehicles, along with locker rooms, temporary holding cells and interview/interrogation rooms.- Facilities...
, in the London Borough of Hackney
London Borough of Hackney
The London Borough of Hackney is a London borough of North/North East London, and forms part of inner London. The local authority is Hackney London Borough Council....
, on 12 January 1983. Amid allegations of a police cover-up
Cover-up
A cover-up is an attempt, whether successful or not, to conceal evidence of wrong-doing, error, incompetence or other embarrassing information...
, the case became a cause célèbre
Cause célèbre
A is an issue or incident arousing widespread controversy, outside campaigning and heated public debate. The term is particularly used in connection with celebrated legal cases. It is a French phrase in common English use...
for civil rights campaigners and black community groups in the United Kingdom
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...
. Prior to Roach's death, Hackney Black People's Association had been calling for a public inquiry into policing in the area, alleging that there existed a culture of police brutality
Police brutality
Police brutality is the intentional use of excessive force, usually physical, but potentially also in the form of verbal attacks and psychological intimidation, by a police officer....
, wrongful detention of black people, racial harassment, and racially motivated "stopping and searching
Sus law
In England and Wales, the sus law was the informal name for a stop and search law that permitted a police officer to stop, search and potentially arrest people on suspicion of them being in breach of section 4 of the Vagrancy Act 1824.-1824 legislation:The power to act on "sus" was found in part...
." Ernie Roberts, the MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Hackney North and Stoke Newington, said that there had been "a complete breakdown of faith and credibility in the police" in the area and the Commission for Racial Equality
Commission for Racial Equality
The Commission for Racial Equality was a non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom which aimed to tackle racial discrimination and promote racial equality. Its work has been merged into the new Equality and Human Rights Commission.-History:...
called for a full inquiry into both the death of Roach and the policing in Hackney generally. In June 1983 a coroner's jury returned a majority verdict of suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
. INQUEST, the United Kingdom pressure group
Advocacy group
Advocacy groups use various forms of advocacy to influence public opinion and/or policy; they have played and continue to play an important part in the development of political and social systems...
founded following the death of Blair Peach
Blair Peach
Clement Blair Peach was a New Zealand-born teacher who was fatally assaulted by a police officer during an anti-racism demonstration in London, England....
at the hands of a police officer in April 1979, was highly critical of the coroner's directions to the jury, and said that he had wrongly pointed them towards a verdict of suicide.
Discrepancies
The police surgeonPolice surgeon
Police surgeon could refer to:*Police Surgeon , a British ITV television series from 1960*Police Surgeon , a Canadian syndicated television series from 1971-1974, which starred Sam Groom; was known as Dr. Simon Locke in its first season* The topic of forensic pathology...
who was called to Colin Roach's corpse in the foyer of the police station said that the body position was inconsistent with suicide. The shotgun with which he was killed could not be fitted into the sports bag Roach had with him, not even when broken down. No fibers from the bag were found on the gun and no oil from the gun was found in the bag. When a shotgun is used for suicide the recoil damages and sometimes breaks the trigger thumb. No injury was found to Roach's hand at all. The recoiling gun will normally hit a wall or floor very hard but no marks from this were found in the police station foyer or on the gun butt.
On the other side of the argument there were no marks on Roach's mouth consistent with a gun being forced into it.
The man who drove Roach to the police station saw no gun or bulge. He said that Roach was very frightened and saw him walk into the police station.
Two police officers who were believed to be present at the police station claimed not to have been there, there were irregularities in the records for who was present.
Roach's death spurred protests and demands for an independent public inquiry. Such an inquiry did not take place, although police did conduct an inquest
Inquest
Inquests in England and Wales are held into sudden and unexplained deaths and also into the circumstances of discovery of a certain class of valuable artefacts known as "treasure trove"...
into the incident.
Pop culture
In August 1983 The Special AKA reached number 60 in the charts with "Racist Friend" / "Brightlights". The latter song features lyrics that mention Roach:"I got down to 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...
and what did I see? One thousand policemen all over the street, The people were shouting and looking at me, They say 'the Colin Roach family demand an enquiry'"
In Sinéad O'Connor
Sinéad O'Connor
Sinéad Marie Bernadette O'Connor is an Irish singer-songwriter. She rose to fame in the late 1980s with her debut album The Lion and the Cobra and achieved worldwide success in 1990 with a cover of the song "Nothing Compares 2 U"....
's I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got
I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got
I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got is the second album by Sinéad O'Connor. It was released in 1990 on Chrysalis Records.-Description:The critically acclaimed album contains her most famous single, "Nothing Compares 2 U", and was one of the best selling records in the world in 1990, topping the charts...
album sleeve, there is a picture of what appears to be Colin Roach's parents holding vigil by his picture, suggesting O'Connor's song "Black Boys on Mopeds" was inspired by Roach's murder. However, the lyrics refer to "police who kill Black boys on mopeds". Although she writes 'black boys' indicating plural, the song references a incident involving a single black youth, Nicholas Bramble. On 17 May 1989, police pursued Bramble apparently under the suspicion he had stolen the moped he was riding (it was his own). In the attempt to evade police, Bramble lost control and crashed. His death was ruled accidental. O'Connor's lyrics take the stance that police initially suspected Bramble only because he was black.
Benjamin Zephaniah
Benjamin Zephaniah
Benjamin Obadiah Iqbal Zephaniah is an English writer and dub poet. He is a well-known figure in contemporary English literature, and was included in The Times list of Britain's top 50 post-war writers in 2008....
composed a poem entitled "Who Killed Colin Roach?"
Colin Roach's death is also mention in a track by the Ragga Twins
Ragga Twins
Ragga Twins are a jungle group from Hackney, England, composed of London UNITY sound system veteran MCs Deman Rockers and Flinty Badman . Socialist Worker referred to them as "one of the most influential acts to emerge from the rave scene"...
entitled "The Iron Lady"
The Colin Roach Centre, a community centre, was set up in Hackney to commemorate the death.
External links
- Documentation of calls for a public enquiry into the death. http://www.kcl.ac.uk/depsta/law/research/coroners/unreported/chambers.html