Murder of Stephen Oake
Encyclopedia
DC Stephen Robin Oake, QGM
, was a police officer
serving as an anti-terrorism
detective with Greater Manchester Police
in England who was murdered while attempting to arrest a suspected terrorist in Manchester on 14 January 2003. He was posthumously awarded the Queen's Gallantry Medal
.
, Cheshire; his father Robin Oake
is a former Chief Constable
of the Isle of Man Constabulary
and a recipient of the Queen's Police Medal
. Stephen served with Greater Manchester Police
for almost 20 years until his death and as an anti-terrorism
detective in the Special Branch since 1999. In 2002 he was commended for his professional skills and expertise.
area of north Manchester, as part of an immigration operation. The resident was not expected to be there, but the police found Algeria
n-born illegal immigrant Kamel Bourgass (born 1974), who had arrived in England in the back of a lorry three years prior, and two other unknown men. Bourgass 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
. He was assumed not to pose a threat and thus was not handcuffed by the officers.
When he believed the officers had identified him in connection with the ricin plot, Bourgass suddenly 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. 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 contained. Oake later died of his injuries.
should be free to handcuff any suspects, regardless of whether they pose an immediate or obvious threat of violence or escape. An inquiry into the incident criticised Oake's colleagues who led the raid for failing to adequately plan the operation.
Oake's full police funeral at Manchester Cathedral
was widely publicised and attended by over 1,000 people including then-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.
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.
A street in Manchester (53.500419°N 2.246306°W) was renamed Stephen Oake Close in his honour. In 2006, the Police Memorial Trust
unveiled a granite stone memorial to Oake in Crumpsall Lane, near the location of his murder (53.5182853°N 2.2478478°W). About 150 people attended the unveiling ceremony, including his widow who had since re-married. 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.
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 George Cross
(GC). A civil service committee decided in 2006 that Oake's actions had not met the "extremely high" standards of bravery beyond the call of duty for the GC. He was, however, posthumously awarded the Queen's Gallantry Medal
— the third level civil decoration after the GC and George Medal
— in 2009, only the ninth such posthumous award for a police officer since the creation of the medal in 1974. One of his colleagues, an unnamed Detective Sergeant, who was stabbed twice in the incident but survived, received a Queen's Commendation for Bravery
. The awards were cited in the London Gazette
of 6 January 2009.
in June 2004 of the murder
of Detective Constable Stephen Oake, of the attempted murder
of two other officers and of the wounding
of another. He had claimed he killed Oake out of fear, but was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum tariff of 22 years and an additional 15 years for the counts of attempted murder. Bourgass appealed the conviction, which was upheld in July 2005. 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. 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 but acquitted. A second trial for four others, Samir Asli, Khalid Alwerfeli, Mouloud Bouhrama and Kamel Merzoug, was abandoned.
Bourgass is currently serving his sentence at Wakefield prison
, West Yorkshire. He was originally incarcerated at Frankland prison
near Durham; in July 2008 trouble broke out there after inmates set his cell on fire. After his move to Wakefield, it was reported in 2009 that Bourgass was recruiting fellow extremist prisoners to communicate with undercover al-Qaeda
operatives in London in relation to a new poison plot. In February 2011, a High Court
judge rejected an appeal filed by Bourgass' lawyers that segregation procedures taken by prison authorities breached his common law rights and human rights. The segregation followed allegations that Bourgass was trying to exert control over other prisoners, especially fellow Muslims whom he "pressurised" to attend prayers. He was also suspected of being involved in organising an assault on one prisoner who needed 50 stitches to his face.
Queen's Gallantry Medal
The Queen's Gallantry Medal is the third level civil decoration of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth.It was instituted on 20 June 1974 to replace the Order of the British Empire for Gallantry, the British Empire Medal for Gallantry, and the Colonial Police Medal for Gallantry...
, was a police officer
Police officer
A police officer is a warranted employee of a police force...
serving as an anti-terrorism
Counter-terrorism
Counter-terrorism is the practices, tactics, techniques, and strategies that governments, militaries, police departments and corporations adopt to prevent or in response to terrorist threats and/or acts, both real and imputed.The tactic of terrorism is available to insurgents and governments...
detective with Greater Manchester Police
Greater Manchester Police
Greater Manchester Police is the police force responsible for law enforcement within the metropolitan county of Greater Manchester in North West England...
in England who was murdered while attempting to arrest a suspected terrorist in Manchester on 14 January 2003. He was posthumously awarded the Queen's Gallantry Medal
Queen's Gallantry Medal
The Queen's Gallantry Medal is the third level civil decoration of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth.It was instituted on 20 June 1974 to replace the Order of the British Empire for Gallantry, the British Empire Medal for Gallantry, and the Colonial Police Medal for Gallantry...
.
Background
Oake was born in PoyntonPoynton
Poynton is a town within the civil parish of Poynton-with-Worth, and the unitary authority area of Cheshire East, England. For ceremonial purposes it is part of the county of Cheshire. Poynton is located at the eastern most fringe of the Cheshire Plain, north of Macclesfield, south of Stockport...
, Cheshire; his father Robin Oake
Robin Oake
Robin Oake QPM is the former Chief Constable of the Isle of Man Constabulary and prior to that Assistant Chief Constable in the Greater Manchester Police.He was Chief Constable of the Isle of Man from 1986 to 1999, when he was succeeded by Mike Culverhouse....
is a former Chief Constable
Chief Constable
Chief constable is the rank used by the chief police officer of every territorial police force in the United Kingdom except for the City of London Police and the Metropolitan Police, as well as the chief officers of the three 'special' national police forces, the British Transport Police, Ministry...
of the Isle of Man Constabulary
Isle of Man Constabulary
The Isle of Man Constabulary is the organisation responsible for policing the Isle of Man, an island of 80,000 inhabitants situated equidistant from Northern Ireland, Wales, Scotland and England.-Structures and Deployment:...
and a recipient of the Queen's Police Medal
Queen's Police Medal
The Queen's Police Medal is awarded to police officers in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth for gallantry or distinguished service. Recipients may use the post-nominal letters "QPM", although the right to use these was only granted officially on 20 July 1969...
. Stephen served with Greater Manchester Police
Greater Manchester Police
Greater Manchester Police is the police force responsible for law enforcement within the metropolitan county of Greater Manchester in North West England...
for almost 20 years until his death and as an anti-terrorism
Counter-terrorism
Counter-terrorism is the practices, tactics, techniques, and strategies that governments, militaries, police departments and corporations adopt to prevent or in response to terrorist threats and/or acts, both real and imputed.The tactic of terrorism is available to insurgents and governments...
detective in the Special Branch since 1999. In 2002 he was commended for his professional skills and expertise.
Murder
On 14 January 2003, Oake and some of his colleagues went to a flat (number 4) at 4, Crumpsall Lane, in the CrumpsallCrumpsall
Crumpsall is a suburban area and electoral ward of the city of Manchester, in Greater Manchester, England. It is about north of Manchester city centre...
area of north Manchester, as part of an immigration operation. The resident was not expected to be there, but the police found Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
n-born illegal immigrant Kamel Bourgass (born 1974), who had arrived in England in the back of a lorry three years prior, and two other unknown men. Bourgass was not immediately recognised despite being wanted in London in connection with what became known as the Wood Green ricin plot
Wood Green ricin plot
The Wood Green ricin plot was a 2002 alleged bioterrorism plot to attack the London Underground with ricin poison. The planned attack had connections with al-Qaeda...
, a bioterrorism
Bioterrorism
Bioterrorism is terrorism involving the intentional release or dissemination of biological agents. These agents are bacteria, viruses, or toxins, and may be in a naturally occurring or a human-modified form. For the use of this method in warfare, see biological warfare.-Definition:According to the...
plot to attack the London Underground
London Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
. He was assumed not to pose a threat and thus was not handcuffed by the officers.
When he believed the officers had identified him in connection with the ricin plot, Bourgass suddenly 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. 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 contained. Oake later died of his injuries.
Aftermath
The circumstances of Oake's murder led to debate over whether police in England and WalesEngland and Wales
England and Wales is a jurisdiction within the United Kingdom. It consists of England and Wales, two of the four countries of the United Kingdom...
should be free to handcuff any suspects, regardless of whether they pose an immediate or obvious threat of violence or escape. An inquiry into the incident criticised Oake's colleagues who led the raid for failing to adequately plan the operation.
Oake's full police funeral at Manchester Cathedral
Manchester Cathedral
Manchester Cathedral is a medieval church on Victoria Street in central Manchester and is the seat of the Bishop of Manchester. The cathedral's official name is The Cathedral and Collegiate Church of St Mary, St Denys and St George in Manchester...
was widely publicised and attended by over 1,000 people including 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...
Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
. The cortege was escorted through Manchester city centre
Manchester City Centre
Manchester city centre is the central business district of Manchester, England. It lies within the Manchester Inner Ring Road, next to the River Irwell...
by mounted police
Mounted police
Mounted police are police who patrol on horseback or camelback. They continue to serve in remote areas and in metropolitan areas where their day-to-day function may be picturesque or ceremonial, but they are also employed in crowd control because of their mobile mass and height advantage and...
wearing full ceremonial dress, and Oake's coffin was carried by six former colleagues through a guard of honour
Guard of honour
A guard of honour is a ceremonial event practice in military and sports as a mark of respect.-Military:In the military a guard of honour is a ceremonial practice to honour visiting foreign dignitaries, or the fallen in war, or a ceremony for public figures who have died.The commander is three paces...
into the cathedral. Proceedings inside were relayed to a crowd of hundreds outside by loudspeaker.
In 2005 the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority
Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority
The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority is a non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom. The Authority administers a compensation scheme for injuries caused to victims of violent crime in Great Britain and is funded by the Ministry of Justice in England and Wales and the devolved...
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.
A street in Manchester (53.500419°N 2.246306°W) was renamed Stephen Oake Close in his honour. In 2006, the Police Memorial Trust
Police 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...
unveiled a granite stone memorial to Oake in Crumpsall Lane, near the location of his murder (53.5182853°N 2.2478478°W). About 150 people attended the unveiling ceremony, including his widow who had since re-married. 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
Manchester Evening News
The Manchester Evening News is a regional daily newspaper covering Greater Manchester in the United Kingdom. It is published every day except Sunday and is owned by Trinity Mirror plc following its sale by Guardian Media Group in early 2010. It has an average daily circulation of 90,973 copies...
, Greater Manchester Police Authority, and the Police Memorial Trust.
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 George Cross
George Cross
The George Cross is the highest civil decoration of the United Kingdom, and also holds, or has held, that status in many of the other countries of the Commonwealth of Nations...
(GC). A civil service committee decided in 2006 that Oake's actions had not met the "extremely high" standards of bravery beyond the call of duty for the GC. He was, however, posthumously awarded the Queen's Gallantry Medal
Queen's Gallantry Medal
The Queen's Gallantry Medal is the third level civil decoration of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth.It was instituted on 20 June 1974 to replace the Order of the British Empire for Gallantry, the British Empire Medal for Gallantry, and the Colonial Police Medal for Gallantry...
— the third level civil decoration after the GC and George Medal
George Medal
The George Medal is the second level civil decoration of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth.The GM was instituted on 24 September 1940 by King George VI. At this time, during the height of The Blitz, there was a strong desire to reward the many acts of civilian courage...
— in 2009, only the ninth such posthumous award for a police officer since the creation of the medal in 1974. One of his colleagues, an unnamed Detective Sergeant, who was stabbed twice in the incident but survived, received a Queen's Commendation for Bravery
Queen's Commendation for Bravery
The Queen's Commendation for Bravery is one of the United Kingdom awards granted for bravery entailing risk to life and meriting national recognition, but not at the level of the Queen's Gallantry Medal. The award may be granted posthumously and is not restricted to British subjects...
. The awards were cited in the London Gazette
London Gazette
The London Gazette is one of the official journals of record of the British government, and the most important among such official journals in the United Kingdom, in which certain statutory notices are required to be published...
of 6 January 2009.
Bourgass's conviction
Kamel Bourgass was convicted at the Old BaileyOld Bailey
The Central Criminal Court in England and Wales, commonly known as the Old Bailey from the street in which it stands, is a court building in central London, one of a number of buildings housing the Crown Court...
in June 2004 of the 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...
of Detective Constable Stephen Oake, of 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 two other officers and of the wounding
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 another. He had claimed he killed Oake out of fear, but was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum tariff of 22 years and an additional 15 years for the counts of attempted murder. Bourgass appealed the conviction, which was upheld in July 2005. A second trial in connection with the bioterrorism plot concluded on 8 April 2005; Bourgass was convicted of conspiracy to commit a public nuisance
Public nuisance
In English criminal law, public nuisance is a class of common law offence in which the injury, loss or damage is suffered by the local community as a whole rather than by individual victims.-Discussion:...
by using poisons or explosives and handed an additional 17 years to his sentence. 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 but acquitted. A second trial for four others, Samir Asli, Khalid Alwerfeli, Mouloud Bouhrama and Kamel Merzoug, was abandoned.
Bourgass is currently serving his sentence at Wakefield prison
Wakefield (HM Prison)
HM Prison Wakefield is a Category A men's prison, located in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England. The prison is operated by Her Majesty's Prison Service, and is the largest maximum security prison in the United Kingdom...
, West Yorkshire. He was originally incarcerated at Frankland prison
Frankland (HM Prison)
HM Prison Frankland is a Category A men's prison located in the village of Brasside in County Durham, England. Frankland is operated by Her Majesty's Prison Service.-History:...
near Durham; in July 2008 trouble broke out there after inmates set his cell on fire. After his move to Wakefield, it was reported in 2009 that Bourgass was recruiting fellow extremist prisoners to communicate with undercover al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda is a global broad-based militant Islamist terrorist organization founded by Osama bin Laden sometime between August 1988 and late 1989. It operates as a network comprising both a multinational, stateless army and a radical Sunni Muslim movement calling for global Jihad...
operatives in London in relation to a new poison plot. In February 2011, a High Court
High Court of Justice
The High Court of Justice is, together with the Court of Appeal and the Crown Court, one of the Senior Courts of England and Wales...
judge rejected an appeal filed by Bourgass' lawyers that segregation procedures taken by prison authorities breached his common law rights and human rights. The segregation followed allegations that Bourgass was trying to exert control over other prisoners, especially fellow Muslims whom he "pressurised" to attend prayers. He was also suspected of being involved in organising an assault on one prisoner who needed 50 stitches to his face.
See also
- Wood Green ricin plotWood Green ricin plotThe Wood Green ricin plot was a 2002 alleged bioterrorism plot to attack the London Underground with ricin poison. The planned attack had connections with al-Qaeda...
- List of terrorist incidents in Great Britain
- List of British police officers killed in the line of duty