No charge over florist raid death

7 September 2011 Last updated at 05:57 ET

Mr Coley had been due to answer bail on Friday

A florist who stabbed to death an intruder at his shop in Greater Manchester will not be charged, the Crown Prosecution Service has said.

Cecil Coley, 72, who has a shop in Shrewsbury Street, Old Trafford, was arrested on suspicion of murder after an alleged raid on 26 July.

He was due to answer bail on Friday over 30-year-old Gary Mulling’s death.

But prosecutor Nazir Afzal said he was satisfied Mr Coley had acted “in reasonable self-defence”.

Mr Afzal, chief prosecutor for the north west, said: “It is difficult to envisage a more frightening set of circumstances than these.

‘Insufficient evidence’

“Four men, armed with guns and a knife, forced their way into the shop as Mr Coley was locking up.

“Mr Coley received a number of injuries, including a serious facial injury, and his friend was knocked unconscious.

“At some point in the incident one of the guns, a blank firing pistol, was fired.

Four armed men raided Mr Coley’s shop in July

“All the evidence indicates that when Cecil Coley took hold of a knife that was on the shop counter and struck out with it he was acting in a way that he felt instinctively necessary to protect himself, whilst fearing for his life.

“It is clear from the evidence I have seen that Mr Coley was acting in reasonable self-defence, and used the degree of force that he believed was necessary when he fatally stabbed Gary Mullings and injured another of the intruders.

“I am therefore satisfied that there is insufficient evidence to prosecute Mr Coley for the stabbings.”

The CPS said Mr Coley would not be facing any charges for injuring the other intruder.

Mr Afzal said householders, shopkeepers and “anyone going about their lawful day to day activities” would be protected by the law if they used reasonable force to protect themselves, their family or their property.

Three other men have been charged with robbery over the incident.

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