Charge over Blakelock murder

A man appeared in court today accused of killing Pc Keith Blakelock during riots in Tottenham.

The accused, Nicolas Jacobs, was 16-years-old when Pc Blakelock was stabbed to death at Broadwater Farm nearly three decades ago.

The charge comes after an extensive re-investigation into the case by Scotland Yard.

Ruth Banks reports:

A man has appeared before magistrates charged with the murder of PC Keith Blakelock, who died during the Broadwater Farm riots in 1985.

The father of three was killed as he tried to protect crews putting out a fire in a supermarket.Nicholas Jacobs appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court earlier today and was remanded in custody.

Ruth Banks reports:

Nicholas Jacobs, 44, is due to appear at the Old Bailey on Friday after being charged with the 1985 murder of PC Keith Blakelock during riots in Tottenham, north London.

Jacobs is accused of killing the 40-year-old officer, who was stabbed as he tried to protect firefighters as they tackled a blaze at a supermarket during the height of the unrest in Tottenham.

Prosecutors announced on Tuesday that Jacobs had been charged over Pc Blakelock's death.

Nicholas Jacobs, 44, was remanded in custody until Friday by Westminster Magistrates' Court after being charged with the murder of Pc Keith Blakelock.

The man charged with murdering PC Keith Blakelock during the 1985 Broadwater Farm riots will appear in court today.

Nicholas Jacobs is accused of killing the 40 year old police officer as he tried to protect firefighters battling a blaze.

He will appear at Westminster Magistrate's Court later today.

Nearly three decades after the Broadwater Farm riots in Tottenham, a man's been charged with the murder of Pc Keith Blakelock.

The 40-year-old officer was stabbed as he tried to protect firefighters at the height of the riots in 1985.

Rags Martel reports from Scotland Yard.

The following statement has been released on behalf of the family of Pc Keith Blakelock.

PC Keith Blakelock died during riots on the Broadwater Farm estate in Tottenham, north London, on 6 October 1985.

Twenty-eight years later, a new suspect - 44-year-old Nicholas Jacobs - has been charged with the officer's murder.

• PC Blakelock, 40, was stabbed to death as he tried to protect firefighters tackling a blaze at a supermarket at the height of the unrest
• Three men - Winston Silcott, Mark Braithwaite and Engin Raghip - were convicted in March 1987 of Blakelock's murder

• All three convictions were quashed four and a half years later, after forensic tests on pages of key interview records suggested they had been fabricated
• Scotland Yard reopened the murder investigation in 2003 after a review indicated there were possible new lines of inquiry

• In 2010, 14 men were arrested in connection with PC Blakelock's death and the attempted murder of his colleague PC Richard Coombes
• Nine were told in August 2011 that they would face no further action, and the rest except Jacobs have now been released.

Pc Blakelock, who was 40, was attacked and stabbed dozens of times as he tried to protect firefighters tackling a blaze at a supermarket, during the height of the Broadwater Farm riots in 1985.

Nicholas Jacobs, 44, who is accused of killing him, will appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court tomorrow.

The CPS said there is "sufficient evidence" to prosecute Nicholas Jacobs over the 1985 murder of PC Keith Blakelock.

They added there was "insufficient evidence" prosecute five other suspects.

Alison Saunders, Chief Crown Prosecutor for CPS London, said: