Man held over Ealing riot death

12 August 2011 Last updated at 09:39 ET

Richard Mannington Bowes was left in a coma

A 68-year-old man who was critically injured while he tried to stamp out a fire during riots in west London has died, Scotland Yard says.

Richard Mannington Bowes suffered head injuries in an attack in Ealing on Monday night and was left in a coma.

A 22-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder.

Police have said four other deaths – a man found shot in a car in Croydon and three men hit by a car in Birmingham – may be linked to the recent disorder.

In other developments:

• A clearer picture is emerging of the people who were involved in rioting and looting as magistrates’ courts continue to sit throughout the night in London and late into the evening in Birmingham and Manchester. An Olympic Games ambassador and a care worker are among those in the docks
• Association of Chief Police Officers president Sir Hugh Orde has denied a rift with ministers, saying it was the police and not MPs who devised the “more robust” approach that restored calm after four nights of rioting in England
• Ed Miliband has blamed the riots that swept English cities on a “me first” culture and accepted Labour must share the blame for creating it.
• More than 1,000 arrests have now been made in London alone and more than 1,500 across England since the unrest began on Saturday
• An 18-year-old man from Salford is charged with criminal damage, recklessly endangering life after a fire at a Miss Selfridge store in Manchester city centre.
• The inquest into the deaths of Haroon Jahan, 21, Shazad Ali, 30, and Abdul Musavir, 31, will be opened and adjourned at Birmingham Coroner’s Court later
• More than 100,000 people have signed an online petition calling for anyone convicted of taking part in the riots to lose any benefits they receive – becoming the first such petition to be considered for a Commons debate
• The government has launched a web with advice to the public on how to cope with the unrest

The 22-year-old was held in west London and has been arrested on suspicion of murder, rioting and burglary.

Mr Bowes, of Haven Green, Ealing, is believed to have been attacked after remonstrating with some teenagers who were setting fire to two industrial bins on Spring Bridge Road.

‘Jumped on him’

Police officers were then pelted with missiles as they came to his aid. Detectives have issued an image of a man they identified as a “strong suspect”.

A witness, who gave his name as Jim and runs businesses in Ealing, said rioters had attacked Mr Bowes when he tried to put out a fire they had started in a supermarket bin near the Arcadia shopping centre.

Police have identified a “strong suspect” they wish to speak to

Jim, 40, said: “I went up to Spring Bridge Road to check on my other shop and saw him on the ground.

“The rioters had set a bin alight and then they jumped on him when he tried to put it out.”

Det Ch Insp John McFarlane said: “This was a brutal incident that resulted in the senseless killing of an innocent man.”

Mr McFarlane said the examination of CCTV footage had provided police with a “strong suspect”.

“I know that on seeing these images of him people will be able to identify him.

“He had been in close proximity to the attack, recording the events on a mobile device.”

Mr Bowes’ sister, Anne Wilderspin, 73, from Derbyshire, said: “It was sort of unreal because don’t think anything like that happens to a relative of rs.

“I mean we’ve been horrified by the reports of the riots and what’s been going on.

“It was a shock and it’s still a bit unreal in a way.”

Home Secretary Theresa May said the high numbers of police officers on the streets will be “sustained” until further notice.

Speaking during a visit to Enfield, north London, Ms May said: “We have had some quieter nights but we are not complacent about that.

“The police will maintain their tough arrest policy, their presence on the streets.”

She said officers would be brought in from areas not affected by the riots to help maintain levels if necessary.

The number of officers patrolling the streets of London has almost trebled to 16,000 since last weekend to help tackle the violence.

Car chase

Trevor Ellis, 26, of Brixton Hill, died after being found with bullet wounds in a car in Croydon, south London, on Monday night.

Police believe Mr Ellis and his friends were involved in an altercation with another group of nine people, resulting in a chase involving three cars. Mr Ellis was shot during the pursuit.

Haroon Jahan, 21, Shazad Ali, 30, and Abdul Musavir, 31, were struck as they stood in a crowd on the pavement in Winson Green, Birmingham, on Tuesday night. They were protecting property at the time.

The inquests into their deaths are due to take place later.

Four people have so far been arrested in connection with their deaths.

Four days of rioting across England broke out after a peaceful protest on Saturday in Tottenham, north London, over the fatal shooting of Mark Duggan, 29, by police.

Mr Duggan’s death is being investigated by the Independent Police Complaints Commission.

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