Murder of Jonathan Henry
Encyclopedia
PC Jonathan 'Jon' Charles Henry (1 January 1971 — 11 June 2007) was a British police officer
who was murder
ed in Luton
, Bedfordshire
, whilst on duty and responding to reports of a stabbing in the town centre.
force for three years prior to his death, and worked previously as a floor fitter in the Luton
area. He married Mary in 2005 and had an infant daughter, Maggie.
reporting a stabbing on George Street in Luton
town centre. A window cleaner, Stephen Chamberlain, had been stabbed in a random attack. Henry approached the suspect from behind to attempt to arrest him but was stabbed in the chest with a 4½-inch knife; he was stabbed a second time as he lay on the ground wounded.
Another window cleaner, David Knight, struck the suspect over the head with a window cleaning pole. Police back-up officers then used a baton round and two shots from a Taser
to subdue the suspect.
Henry was taken to Luton and Dunstable Hospital
by ambulance
but later died of his injuries.
n immigrant, was convicted of Henry's murder on 26 March 2009 and sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum tariff of 25 years.
Obih abused alcohol and cannabis
, which, from 2004, brought about voices, hallucinations and delusions. During his trial the jury heard how Obih believed that he had special powers, could predict the future, and could make something explode just by pointing at it. He also distrusted the police.
Obih had denied the charge of murder
, but admitted manslaughter
on the grounds of diminished responsibility
. The jury rejected this defence and found him guilty of the murder of Henry, the attempted murder
of Chamberlain and the wounding with intent
of Knight (he was found not guilty of the attempted murder of Knight). Obih was also convicted of aggravated burglary
and assault occasioning actual bodily harm in a separate incident on the same day. The judge
accepted that Obih's schizophrenia was a mitigating factor in the case, and recommended that he receive psychiatric rehabilitation
at a high-security mental hospital
.
erected a stone memorial to PC Henry near the location of his murder in George Street, Luton. Present at the unveiling was the Trust's founder Michael Winner
and the then Prime Minister
Gordon Brown
.
Police officer
A police officer is a warranted employee of a police force...
who was 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...
ed in Luton
Luton
Luton is a large town and unitary authority of Bedfordshire, England, 30 miles north of London. Luton and its near neighbours, Dunstable and Houghton Regis, form the Luton/Dunstable Urban Area with a population of about 250,000....
, Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire is a ceremonial county of historic origin in England that forms part of the East of England region.It borders Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Northamptonshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the west and Hertfordshire to the south-east....
, whilst on duty and responding to reports of a stabbing in the town centre.
Background
Henry had served in the Bedfordshire PoliceBedfordshire Police
Bedfordshire Police, is the territorial police force responsible for policing the ceremonial county of Bedfordshire in England, which includes the unitary authorities of Bedford, Central Bedfordshire and Luton. Its headquarters are in Kempston. The county had an estimated population of 602,500 in...
force for three years prior to his death, and worked previously as a floor fitter in the Luton
Luton
Luton is a large town and unitary authority of Bedfordshire, England, 30 miles north of London. Luton and its near neighbours, Dunstable and Houghton Regis, form the Luton/Dunstable Urban Area with a population of about 250,000....
area. He married Mary in 2005 and had an infant daughter, Maggie.
Murder
At around 7:18 a.m. on 11 June 2007, having begun his shift at 7 a.m., Henry responded to 999 calls999 (emergency telephone number)
999 is an official emergency telephone number in a number of countries which allows the caller to contact emergency services for urgent assistance....
reporting a stabbing on George Street in Luton
Luton
Luton is a large town and unitary authority of Bedfordshire, England, 30 miles north of London. Luton and its near neighbours, Dunstable and Houghton Regis, form the Luton/Dunstable Urban Area with a population of about 250,000....
town centre. A window cleaner, Stephen Chamberlain, had been stabbed in a random attack. Henry approached the suspect from behind to attempt to arrest him but was stabbed in the chest with a 4½-inch knife; he was stabbed a second time as he lay on the ground wounded.
Another window cleaner, David Knight, struck the suspect over the head with a window cleaning pole. Police back-up officers then used a baton round and two shots from a Taser
Taser
A Taser is an electroshock weapon that uses electrical current to disrupt voluntary control of muscles. Its manufacturer, Taser International, calls the effects "neuromuscular incapacitation" and the devices' mechanism "Electro-Muscular Disruption technology"...
to subdue the suspect.
Henry was taken to Luton and Dunstable Hospital
Luton and Dunstable Hospital NHS Trust
The Luton and Dunstable Hospital is a medium-size, general hospital run by the National Health Service in Luton, Bedfordshire. Founded in 1937, the hospital is currently an NHS Trust, providing general medical and surgical services, for over 350,000 people in Luton and Dunstable, the south of...
by ambulance
Ambulance
An ambulance is a vehicle for transportation of sick or injured people to, from or between places of treatment for an illness or injury, and in some instances will also provide out of hospital medical care to the patient...
but later died of his injuries.
Conviction
Paranoid schizophrenic Ikechukwu Tennyson Obih, a 29-year-old NigeriaNigeria
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...
n immigrant, was convicted of Henry's murder on 26 March 2009 and sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum tariff of 25 years.
Obih abused alcohol and cannabis
Cannabis
Cannabis is a genus of flowering plants that includes three putative species, Cannabis sativa, Cannabis indica, and Cannabis ruderalis. These three taxa are indigenous to Central Asia, and South Asia. Cannabis has long been used for fibre , for seed and seed oils, for medicinal purposes, and as a...
, which, from 2004, brought about voices, hallucinations and delusions. During his trial the jury heard how Obih believed that he had special powers, could predict the future, and could make something explode just by pointing at it. He also distrusted the police.
Obih had denied the charge of murder
Murder in English law
Murder is an offence under the common law of England and Wales. It is considered the most serious form of homicide, in which one person kills another either intending to cause death or intending to cause serious injury .-Actus reus:The definition of the actus reus Murder is an offence under the...
, but admitted manslaughter
Manslaughter in English law
In the English law of homicide, manslaughter is a less serious offence than murder, the differential being between levels of fault based on the mens rea . In England and Wales, the usual practice is to prefer a charge of murder, with the judge or defence able to introduce manslaughter as an option...
on the grounds of diminished responsibility
Diminished responsibility in English law
In English law, diminished responsibility is one of the partial defences that reduce the offence from murder to manslaughter if successful . This allows the judge sentencing discretion, e.g. to impose a hospital order under section 37 Mental Health Act 1983 to ensure treatment rather than...
. The jury rejected this defence and found him guilty of the murder of Henry, the 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...
of Chamberlain and the wounding with intent
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....
of Knight (he was found not guilty of the attempted murder of Knight). Obih was also convicted of aggravated burglary
Burglary
Burglary is a crime, the essence of which is illicit entry into a building for the purposes of committing an offense. Usually that offense will be theft, but most jurisdictions specify others which fall within the ambit of burglary...
and assault occasioning actual bodily harm in a separate incident on the same day. The judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
accepted that Obih's schizophrenia was a mitigating factor in the case, and recommended that he receive psychiatric rehabilitation
Psychiatric rehabilitation
Psychiatric rehabilitation, also known as psychosocial rehabilitation, and usually simplified to psych rehab, is the process of restoration of community functioning and well-being of an individual who has a psychiatric disability...
at a high-security mental hospital
Psychiatric hospital
Psychiatric hospitals, also known as mental hospitals, are hospitals specializing in the treatment of serious mental disorders. Psychiatric hospitals vary widely in their size and grading. Some hospitals may specialise only in short-term or outpatient therapy for low-risk patients...
.
Memorial
In 2008 the Police Memorial TrustPolice Memorial Trust
The Police Memorial Trust is a charitable organisation founded in 1984 and based in London. The trust's objective is to erect memorials to British police officers killed in the line of duty, at or near the spot where they died, thereby acting as a permanent reminder to the public of the sacrifice...
erected a stone memorial to PC Henry near the location of his murder in George Street, Luton. Present at the unveiling was the Trust's founder Michael Winner
Michael Winner
Michael Robert Winner is a British film director and producer, active in both Europe and the United States, also known as a food critic for the Sunday Times.-Early life and early career :...
and the then Prime Minister
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
Gordon Brown
Gordon Brown
James Gordon Brown is a British Labour Party politician who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 until 2010. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Labour Government from 1997 to 2007...
.