The retired police officer won his High court Strive to make the former assistant of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi jointly and severally liable for the fatal shooting of the PC Yvonne Fletcher 37 years ago.
25-year-old Pc Fletcher was killed while demonstrating against the former Libyan leader outside his country’s embassy in St. James square In the center London April 17, 1984.
Her former colleague John Murray, 66, filed a civil claim for a nominal amount of £1 against Saleh Ibrahim Mabrouk, which he sought for “justice” for his dead friend for decades. Part of the effort.
Mr. Murray’s lawyer accused Mr. Mabrouk, who denied any wrongdoing, of “shared responsibility” for the shooting, saying that although he did not shoot, he “played an important role” in the “planning” of the use of violence. Protesting.
The three-day trial in the Royal Court of Justice in London learned that Mr. Murray, who has suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) since the incident, is seeking “reconciliation” damages for assaults and assaults.
The court heard that Mr. Murray, from Chingford, east London, promised his dying colleague that he would find those responsible for shooting through the embassy window.
Judge Martin Spencer said in his sentence on Tuesday morning that “the person responsible for the shooting of Yvonne Fletcher is also responsible for Mr. Murray.”
He added: “I am satisfied with the balance of possibilities, that is, there is a common design that uses violence to respond to the planned anti-Gaddafi protests.”
The judge said that the evidence showed that Mr. Mabrouk was an “active participant” and “jointly condescended to fire on the demonstrators.”
He concluded: “Mr. Murray succeeded in showing that the defendant Saleh Ibrahim Mabrouk was jointly and severally liable with the person who shot Yvonne Fletcher because she was beaten.”
The judge’s decision was applauded in a crowded courtroom, and Mr. Murray shed tears as he read the sentence.
We finally get justice for Yvonne
In a statement after the ruling, Mr. Murray said that “we have finally done justice to Yvonne.”
The judge described Mr. Murray and Pc Fletcher, who worked together in Covent Garden in central London, as “salt on the earth”. They are “best friends” and “the first stop if anyone in the community encounters problems.” .
He told the court that when a gunman armed with a Sterling submachine gun opened fire on “unarmed and unsuspecting legal demonstrators” from the window on the first floor of the embassy, and “not concerned about the risk to police officers performing their normal duties.”
The judge added that the gunman’s actions were “carefully planned and approved” by Gaddafi and it seemed “almost no doubt” that Gaddafi “cannot tolerate dissent or disagreement.”
