Met Police Officer Denies Murder in Chris Kaba Shooting
Human, Not RoboCop, Defence Told to Jury
Metropolitan Police officer Martyn Blake, 40, stands trial for the fatal shooting of 24-year-old Chris Kaba in London in 2022. The case is being heard at the Old Bailey, where the defence insists Blake acted as a fallible human, not a machine, during the tense moments before the shooting.
Kaba was shot through the windscreen of an Audi Q8 linked to a shotgun incident from the night before. Court heard the unarmed Mr Kaba knew police were tailing him and tried to flee when boxed in by armed officers.
Defence: Blake’s Reactions ‘Not Nanosecond Perfect’
On Friday, defence barrister Patrick Gibbs KC argued Blake’s split-second response can’t be reduced to robotic precision. “If the way he saw the world was like RoboCop, able to respond just like that, maybe you’d be right. But he isn’t,” said Gibbs. “He is a human being with a human brain who did this to the best of his ability.”
The defence described the police stop as chaotic, losing the element of surprise after Mr Kaba realised he was being followed at Kirkstall Gardens, Streatham, on September 5, 2022. Gibbs painted Mr Kaba as a desperate driver determined to escape, banging the car in a bid to break free.
Prosecution Hits Back: Officer’s Story ‘A Fiction’
Prosecutor Tom Little KC challenged Blake’s version, accusing him of inventing parts of the incident. “You don’t see the Audi driving directly at the defendant or the dodging movement he claims,” Little told the jury.
“This is a fiction. Blake, a highly experienced firearms officer, cannot have got it wrong innocently. His story is not true and cannot honestly reflect his belief at the time.”
Trial Adjourned Ahead of Judge’s Summing-Up
After closing speeches, Mr Justice Goss paused the trial until Monday, when he is expected to sum up before sending the jury to decide. Martyn Blake denies murder.
