Post by Jack McVitie on Oct 2, 2016 17:25:26 GMT
This is a background history of Jack McVitie before his arrival in Red Deer.
In London the Brujah clan have always maintained power base in the Underworld. This is an attempt to counter the stranglehold of the Ventrue clan who traditionally used the police force to not only control the Sabbat's attempt to insinuate themselves into the Capital, but also to harass the other less desirable clans within the city limits. In the 1950 to 60's one of the most successful such ventures was Kray brothers who held sway over most of London east end. As they grew in power they established the a gang called "The Firm" which managed to elude charges by using fear and violence maintaining the cone of silence around their operation. However eventually their reign ended in this case with the death of one man who's body was never recovered?
The Known History
Jack D McVitie (1932, Battersea, London - 29 October 1967, Stoke Newington, London), more commonly known as Jack the Hat, was a notorious English criminal from London of the 1950s - 1960s. He is posthumously famous for triggering the imprisonment and downfall of the Kray twins. He had acted as an enforcer and hit man with links to "the firm", and was murdered by Reggie Kray in 1967.
Reggie was arrested the following year for the murder, being found guilty and received life imprisonment at his trial in March 1969. He remained in prison until just before his death, which was in 2000. Ronnie was imprisoned for life at the same time for a murder committed the previous year and remained behind bars until he died in 1995.
Life
McVitie married Marie E Marney in Surrey in 1950 The nickname Jack The Hat is said to be because of a trilby hat that he wore to cover up his hair loss. A known drug trafficker by the 1960s, he had been an associate of the Kray twins for some time and, although never a permanent member of The Firm, was regularly employed to commit various crimes on their behalf. In 1967 Ronald Kray paid McVitie £1,500 in advance to kill ex-friend and business partner Leslie Payne amid fears that Payne was about to inform the police of his criminal activities. McVitie and a friend, Billy Exley, set off to shoot Payne, but were unsuccessful. Exley, the driver, suffered from heart trouble and McVitie was now heavily dependent on drugs. Exley started to lose his nerve when McVitie produced a handgun, in Exley's words, "the size of a bleedin' cannon."
Arriving at Payne's home, McVitie hammered loudly on the front door, which luckily for Payne was opened by his wife. "He's not in," she said. "That's all right," said McVitie and he and Exley left. Instead of repaying the money McVitie kept it. This incident led, in part, to McVitie's death.
Death
On 29 October 1967, McVitie was invited to a party on Evering Road in Stoke Newington, London, with several of his underworld associates and their families. The Krays had secretly arrived at the party first and had spent an hour clearing away guests. Reggie Kray's initial plan to shoot McVitie upon entry failed. His gun jammed and, encouraged by his more violent twin, he stabbed McVitie repeatedly in the face, chest and stomach as part of a brief but violent struggle. The twins quickly fled the scene and McVitie's body was deposited wrapped in an eiderdown and left outside St. Mary's Church, Rotherhithe by Tony and Chris Lambrianou and Ronnie Bender, who were minor members of the Firm. When the Krays discovered the whereabouts of the corpse, they ordered it to be immediately moved, probably because of the close proximity of friend and associate Freddie Foreman. The body was never recovered, although in an interview in 2000 (which featured Reg Kray giving a frank account of the activity of The Firm 12 days before his death) Foreman admitted to throwing McVitie's body from a boat into the sea at Newhaven.
Justice
Following McVitie's murder, the Krays and several other members of their gang were finally arrested by the Scotland Yard police officers who had been watching their exploits for years. At the Old Bailey on 4 March 1969, both were found guilty of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment with a recommendation that they should each serve a minimum of 30 years. Ronnie's murder conviction was for the murder of rival gangster George Cornell, who was shot dead in 1966.
The jury took 6 hours and 55 minutes to reach their unanimous verdict. Never before at the Old Bailey had such a long and expensive trial taken place.The Krays' elder brother Charlie, together with Frederick Foreman (who helped move the body) and Cornelius Whitehead, were all found guilty of being accessories to McVitie's murder.
Prison seemed to do much to encourage the myth and legend surrounding the Krays, despite the obvious restrictions on their freedom. Both wrote best-selling books about their lives and, in 1990, a full-length biographical film entitled The Krays was released (featuring real-life brothers Martin and Gary Kemp as the Kray twins). Jack McVitie was portrayed by actor Tom Bell in this film before also appearing in the 2004 film Charlie, this time depicted by Marius Swift.
In reality the death scene was nothing more than an fabrication by the Ventrue clan who retained Jack the Hat as a Ghoul for some time after his supposed death. He was at first used to embarrass the Brujah clan but as time went on the Ventrue lost interest in Jack and sold him back to the Primogen believing that his use would be limited. Twenty years passed and McVitea served his masters protecting there havens and keeping an eye on "business". However in January 1981 McVitea was sent to New Cross with several Jerry cans of petrol and specific instructions.
Brixton Riots "Bloody Saturday"
Date 11 April 1981
Location Lambeth, South London, England, United Kingdom
Casualties
279 injured 45 injured
82 arrested
The 1981 Brixton riot, or Brixton uprising, was a confrontation between the Metropolitan Police and protesters in Lambeth, South London, England, between 10 and 11 April 1981. The main riot on 11 April, dubbed "Bloody Saturday" by TIME magazine,resulted in almost 280* injuries to police and 45* injuries to members of the public; over a hundred vehicles were burned, including 56 police vehicles; and almost 150 buildings were damaged, with thirty burned. There were 82 arrests. Reports suggested that up to 5,000 people were involved.
Background
Brixton in South London was an area with serious social and economic problems. The whole United Kingdom was affected by a recession by 1981, but the local African-Caribbean community was suffering particularly high unemployment, poor housing, and a higher than average crime rate.[5]
In the preceding months there had been growing unease between the police and the inhabitants of Lambeth.[1] In January 1981 a house fire, a suspected racially-motivated arson, had killed a number of black youths in New Cross; the police investigation was criticised as inadequate. Black activists, including Darcus Howe, organised a march for the "Black People's Day of Action" on 2 March.[6] Accounts of turnout vary from between 5,000[7] to 20[8] to 25,000.[9] The marchers walked 17 miles from Deptford to Hyde Park, passing the Houses of Parliament and Fleet Street.[8][10] While the majority of the march finished in Hyde Park without incident, there was some confrontation with police at Blackfriars. Les Back wrote that "While the local press reported the march respectfully, the national papers unloaded the full weight of racial stereotyping." The Evening Standard's front page headline was a photo of a policeman with a bloody face next to a quote from Darcus Howe referring to the march as "A good day". A few weeks later, some of the organizers of the march were arrested, charged with inciting to riot. They were later acquitted. At the beginning of April, the Metropolitan Police began Operation Swamp 81, a plainclothes operation to reduce crime. Officers were dispatched into Brixton, and within five days around 1,000 people were stopped and searched, and 82 arrested, through the heavy use of the 'sus law' (stop and search powers). The 'sus laws' were a type of law which allowed police to arrest members of the public when it was believed that they were acting suspiciously and not necessarily committing a crime. The African-Caribbean community stated that the police were arresting black people without a specific reason.[citation needed]
The Catalyst
Public disfavour came to a head on April 10. At around 17:15 a police constable spotted a black youth named Michael Bailey running away, apparently from three other black youths. Bailey was stopped and found to be badly bleeding, but broke away from the constable. Stopped again on Atlantic Road, Bailey was found to have a four inch stab wound. A crowd gathered and, as the police did not appear to be providing or seeking the medical help Bailey needed quickly enough, the crowd tried to intervene. The police then tried to take the wounded boy to a waiting car on Railton Road. The crowd then struggled with the police, which resulted in more police being called into the area. Michael was then taken to a hospital. Rumours spread that the youth had been left to die by the police, or that the police looked on as the stabbed youth was lying on the street. Over 200 youths, black and white with predominantly Afro-Caribbean heritage reportedly turned on the police. In response the police decided to increase the number of police foot patrols in Railton Road, despite the tensions, and carry on with the "Operation Swamp 81" throughout the night of Friday the 10th and into the following day, Saturday the 11 April.
Bloody Saturday
Allegedly it was believed by the local community that the stabbed youth died as a result of police brutality, fuelling tensions throughout the day as crowds slowly gathered. Tensions first erupted around 4 pm, as two police officers stopped and searched a mini cab in Railton Road. By this time Brixton Road (Brixton High Street) was reportedly[by whom?] filled with angry people and police cars were pelted with bricks. At around 5 pm the tension escalated and spread, and the 9 o'clock BBC News that evening reported 46 police officers injured, five seriously. Shops were looted on Railton Road, Mayall Road, Leeson Road, Acre Lane and Brixton Road. The looting in Brixton reportedly started at around 6 pm. At 6.15 pm the fire brigade received their first call, as a police van was set on fire by rioters in Railton Road, with the fire brigade being warned "riot in progress". As the fire brigade approached the police cordon, they were waved through without warning, driving down Railton Road towards 300 youths armed with bottles and bricks. The fire brigade met the crowd at the junction between Railton Road and Shakespeare Road and were attacked with stones and bottles.
The police put out emergency calls to police officers across London, asking for assistance. They had no strategy,[citation needed] and only had inadequate helmets and non-fireproof plastic shields to protect themselves with while clearing the streets of rioters. The police reportedly[also had difficulties in radio communication. The police proceeded in clearing the Atlantic-Railton-Mayall area by pushing the rioters down the road, forming deep shield walls. The rioters responded with bricks, bottles, and petrol bombs.
At 5.30 pm the violence further escalated. Ordinary black and white members of the public attempted to mediate between the police and the rioters, calling for a de-escalation by withdrawing police out of the area. The destructive efforts of the rioters peaked at around 8 pm, as those attempts at mediation failed. Two pubs, 26 businesses, schools and other structures were set alight as rioters went on a rampage. Hundreds of local residents were trapped in their houses, locked in by either police or rioters.
By 9.30 pm, over 1,000 police were dispatched into Brixton, squeezing out the rioters.[15] By 1.00 am on 12 April 1981, the area was largely subdued, with no large groups – except the police – on the streets. The fire brigade refused to return until the following morning. Police numbers grew to over 2,500, and by the early hours of Sunday morning the rioting had fizzled out.[3]
Aftermath
During the disturbances, 299* police were injured, and at least 65* members of the public, 61 private vehicles and 56 police vehicles were damaged or destroyed. 28 premises were burned and another 117 damaged and looted. 82 arrests were made.
Between 3 and 11 July of that year, there was more unrest fuelled by racial and social discord, at Handsworth in Birmingham, Southall in London, Toxteth in Liverpool, Hyson Green in Nottingham and Moss Side in Manchester. There were also smaller pockets of unrest in Leeds, Leicester, Southampton, Halifax, Bedford, Gloucester, Wolverhampton, Coventry, Bristol, and Edinburgh. Racial tension played a major part in most of these disturbances, although all of the riots took place in areas hit particularly hard by unemployment and recession.
1985 Brixton riot
The Brixton riot of 1985 started on 28 September in Lambeth in South London. It was the second major riot that the area had witnessed in the space of four years, the last in 1981. It was sparked by the shooting of Dorothy "Cherry" Groce by the Metropolitan Police, while they sought her 21 year old son Michael Groce in relation to a suspected firearms offence; they believed Michael Groce was hiding in his mother's home.
After two days of riots, photo-journalist David Hodge had died, 43 civilians and 10 police officers were hurt, one building had been destroyed amongst a number of fires, 55 cars had been burnt out, and 58 burglaries had been committed including acts of looting.
In March 2014, the police eventually apologised for the wrongful shooting of Mrs Groce. A subsequently inquest jury in July 2014 concluded that eight separate police failures had contributed to Mrs Groce's death, for which the present Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe subsequently "apologised unreservedly for our failings" to the family.
Background
1981 Brixton riot and Michael Groce
The community of Lambeth, post the 1981 Brixton riot, had lost trust in the Metropolitan Police, with many of the mixed race but mainly Afro-Caribbean population believing the police to be institutionally racist.
21 year old Michael Groce was one of six children born to Mrs Dorothy "Cherry" Groce, who had immigrated to the area from Jamaica when she was in her early teens. From aged six much of his life was spent in residential care, brought up in Tinworth House, on a rough housing estate in Vauxhall. Michael was involved with street gangs, and had been exposed to guns during his childhood. He spent time in and out of prison throughout his life, and by 1985 had accrued 50 convictions and 15 different spells in prison.
After being released from prison two months before, whilst out on license Michael became concerned with a turf-war between local street gangs. Subsequently given a gun for protection by a friend, a few days before the riots Michael was in an argument with his girlfriend at his mothers house, and in a fit of showing-off fired the gun into a wardrobe. Shortly afterwards, he heard a knock on the door and went down to answer it, finding a police officer enquiring if he was Michael Groce. He attempted to close the door, but after the police officer would not let him, Michael put the gun into the officer's mouth. After the officer left, Michael cleaned the gun and placed it in the house, then fled to his sister's home.
Raid on Cherry Groce's house
On the morning of 28 September 1985, a group of police officers raided Cherry Groce's house on Normandy Road, Brixton, including an armed CID officer, searching for suspected armed robber Michael Groce. Mrs Groce was in bed, whilst three of her six children were in residence. The police did not give local residents any warning of the raid, and entered the house with force. During the raid, Mrs Groce was shot in the chest; after an extensive search, the police did not find Michael Groce. An ambulance was called, and by the time it had arrived a small crowd had gathered outside the house. Mrs Groce was taken to St Thomas' Hospital in central London.
Riots
As word of the shooting spread throughout the community, rumours persisted that Mrs. Groce had in fact been killed in the raid. The group that had gathered outside her house grew to over 60, and then moved to the local district police station, where they began chanting "murderers" and anti-police slogans, demanding disciplinary action against the officers involved.
However, hostility between the largely black crowd and the largely white police force quickly escalated into a series of mild street battles. These then developed into elongated skirmishes in the areas of Brixton Road and Acre Lane, where the first two of a total of 55 cars over the following 48 hours were burnt out. In response the police deployed the first 50 officers in riot gear in the afternoon, who approached rioters by banging their truncheons on their riot shields. Through force which involved a number of reported unprovoked attacks on local passers-by and accredited members of the media, the police cordoned off the area around the police station on Brixton Road, and then cleared the surrounding shopping district.
That evening, the police lost control of the area for approximately 48 hours. In the subsequent riot, severe injuries were sustained by both sides, with police injured as they were attacked by young black youths equipped with bricks and wooden stakes. After further skirmishes, the rioters built a defensive wall out of upturned cars across the Brixton Road, which were set alight at various times. From behind this wall, the rioters threw petrol bombs at the police, and looted local shops. Police later stated that they made 149 arrests that evening, mostly for violence, 20 for burglary and theft and two for petrol bombing.
In the aftermath, photo-journalist David Hodge died a few days later as a result of an aneurysm, after being attacked by gang of looters he was trying to photograph. In total over 50 people were injured, 200 arrests were made, one building and dozens of cars were destroyed, and several shops had been looted.
In a press conference on 30 September, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Richard Wells described the shooting of Mrs Groce as tragic, and whilst recognising the resultant "genuine feelings, particularly those of the relatives and friends of Mrs Groce", blamed the riots on "an unruly criminal element.
Subsequent riots: Peckham, Toxteth and Tottenham
On 30 September in Peckham, south London, gangs of black youths began throwing petrol bombs and setting shops alight. A major fire at a carpet warehouse off Peckham High Street was reported.
On 1 October 1985, 10 people (including three police officers) were injured in a second riot in Toxteth on 1 October 1985, after gangs stormed the district's streets and stoned and burnt cars in response to the arrest of four local black men in connection with a stabbing. Merseyside Police Operational Support Division was deployed into the area to restore order and were later criticised by community leaders and the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Liverpool, Derek Warlock for their "over zealous and provocative tactics" which included the drumming of batons on riot shields.
One week later, another serious conflict, sparked by similar circumstances, broke out between the Metropolitan Police and mainly black residents of North London's Tottenham district in what became known as the Broadwater Farm riot.
Never again would the Ventrue clan use heavy handed police tactics within the London domain against the Brujah clan. They had finally recognizing that public opinion of Southern London'ers was adamantly hostile towards the constabulary. The Brujah clan celebrated their small victory and rewarded McVitea support throughout the 1981 and 1985 riots (consisting mostly of transporting jerry cans of petrol and milk bottles) with the embrace.
However the anarchy generated by the rioting, attracted Sabbat infiltration within the region which the Brujah found difficult to counter. They had isolated themselves from many of their Camerilla counterparts and pleas to the Capital fell on deaf ears. The Ventrue clan was angry and refused to lend aid to the Brujah of southern London. This isolation allowed the sabbat to kill or convert the cockney Brujah one by one. However McVitea survived by managing to convince one of the invading nomad packs (called the hellhounds) that he was a newly embraced member of the Camerilla and he wished to join them (not really a lie since he did!). Eventually the pack was destroyed, but McVitie survived by abandoning the Hellhounds when things began to look bad. He has retained a persona of a stray Sabbat pack member but usually is greeted with disdain and derision for not dying with his pack mates.
In London the Brujah clan have always maintained power base in the Underworld. This is an attempt to counter the stranglehold of the Ventrue clan who traditionally used the police force to not only control the Sabbat's attempt to insinuate themselves into the Capital, but also to harass the other less desirable clans within the city limits. In the 1950 to 60's one of the most successful such ventures was Kray brothers who held sway over most of London east end. As they grew in power they established the a gang called "The Firm" which managed to elude charges by using fear and violence maintaining the cone of silence around their operation. However eventually their reign ended in this case with the death of one man who's body was never recovered?
The Known History
Jack D McVitie (1932, Battersea, London - 29 October 1967, Stoke Newington, London), more commonly known as Jack the Hat, was a notorious English criminal from London of the 1950s - 1960s. He is posthumously famous for triggering the imprisonment and downfall of the Kray twins. He had acted as an enforcer and hit man with links to "the firm", and was murdered by Reggie Kray in 1967.
Reggie was arrested the following year for the murder, being found guilty and received life imprisonment at his trial in March 1969. He remained in prison until just before his death, which was in 2000. Ronnie was imprisoned for life at the same time for a murder committed the previous year and remained behind bars until he died in 1995.
Life
McVitie married Marie E Marney in Surrey in 1950 The nickname Jack The Hat is said to be because of a trilby hat that he wore to cover up his hair loss. A known drug trafficker by the 1960s, he had been an associate of the Kray twins for some time and, although never a permanent member of The Firm, was regularly employed to commit various crimes on their behalf. In 1967 Ronald Kray paid McVitie £1,500 in advance to kill ex-friend and business partner Leslie Payne amid fears that Payne was about to inform the police of his criminal activities. McVitie and a friend, Billy Exley, set off to shoot Payne, but were unsuccessful. Exley, the driver, suffered from heart trouble and McVitie was now heavily dependent on drugs. Exley started to lose his nerve when McVitie produced a handgun, in Exley's words, "the size of a bleedin' cannon."
Arriving at Payne's home, McVitie hammered loudly on the front door, which luckily for Payne was opened by his wife. "He's not in," she said. "That's all right," said McVitie and he and Exley left. Instead of repaying the money McVitie kept it. This incident led, in part, to McVitie's death.
Death
On 29 October 1967, McVitie was invited to a party on Evering Road in Stoke Newington, London, with several of his underworld associates and their families. The Krays had secretly arrived at the party first and had spent an hour clearing away guests. Reggie Kray's initial plan to shoot McVitie upon entry failed. His gun jammed and, encouraged by his more violent twin, he stabbed McVitie repeatedly in the face, chest and stomach as part of a brief but violent struggle. The twins quickly fled the scene and McVitie's body was deposited wrapped in an eiderdown and left outside St. Mary's Church, Rotherhithe by Tony and Chris Lambrianou and Ronnie Bender, who were minor members of the Firm. When the Krays discovered the whereabouts of the corpse, they ordered it to be immediately moved, probably because of the close proximity of friend and associate Freddie Foreman. The body was never recovered, although in an interview in 2000 (which featured Reg Kray giving a frank account of the activity of The Firm 12 days before his death) Foreman admitted to throwing McVitie's body from a boat into the sea at Newhaven.
Justice
Following McVitie's murder, the Krays and several other members of their gang were finally arrested by the Scotland Yard police officers who had been watching their exploits for years. At the Old Bailey on 4 March 1969, both were found guilty of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment with a recommendation that they should each serve a minimum of 30 years. Ronnie's murder conviction was for the murder of rival gangster George Cornell, who was shot dead in 1966.
The jury took 6 hours and 55 minutes to reach their unanimous verdict. Never before at the Old Bailey had such a long and expensive trial taken place.The Krays' elder brother Charlie, together with Frederick Foreman (who helped move the body) and Cornelius Whitehead, were all found guilty of being accessories to McVitie's murder.
Prison seemed to do much to encourage the myth and legend surrounding the Krays, despite the obvious restrictions on their freedom. Both wrote best-selling books about their lives and, in 1990, a full-length biographical film entitled The Krays was released (featuring real-life brothers Martin and Gary Kemp as the Kray twins). Jack McVitie was portrayed by actor Tom Bell in this film before also appearing in the 2004 film Charlie, this time depicted by Marius Swift.
In reality the death scene was nothing more than an fabrication by the Ventrue clan who retained Jack the Hat as a Ghoul for some time after his supposed death. He was at first used to embarrass the Brujah clan but as time went on the Ventrue lost interest in Jack and sold him back to the Primogen believing that his use would be limited. Twenty years passed and McVitea served his masters protecting there havens and keeping an eye on "business". However in January 1981 McVitea was sent to New Cross with several Jerry cans of petrol and specific instructions.
Brixton Riots "Bloody Saturday"
Date 11 April 1981
Location Lambeth, South London, England, United Kingdom
Casualties
279 injured 45 injured
82 arrested
The 1981 Brixton riot, or Brixton uprising, was a confrontation between the Metropolitan Police and protesters in Lambeth, South London, England, between 10 and 11 April 1981. The main riot on 11 April, dubbed "Bloody Saturday" by TIME magazine,resulted in almost 280* injuries to police and 45* injuries to members of the public; over a hundred vehicles were burned, including 56 police vehicles; and almost 150 buildings were damaged, with thirty burned. There were 82 arrests. Reports suggested that up to 5,000 people were involved.
Background
Brixton in South London was an area with serious social and economic problems. The whole United Kingdom was affected by a recession by 1981, but the local African-Caribbean community was suffering particularly high unemployment, poor housing, and a higher than average crime rate.[5]
In the preceding months there had been growing unease between the police and the inhabitants of Lambeth.[1] In January 1981 a house fire, a suspected racially-motivated arson, had killed a number of black youths in New Cross; the police investigation was criticised as inadequate. Black activists, including Darcus Howe, organised a march for the "Black People's Day of Action" on 2 March.[6] Accounts of turnout vary from between 5,000[7] to 20[8] to 25,000.[9] The marchers walked 17 miles from Deptford to Hyde Park, passing the Houses of Parliament and Fleet Street.[8][10] While the majority of the march finished in Hyde Park without incident, there was some confrontation with police at Blackfriars. Les Back wrote that "While the local press reported the march respectfully, the national papers unloaded the full weight of racial stereotyping." The Evening Standard's front page headline was a photo of a policeman with a bloody face next to a quote from Darcus Howe referring to the march as "A good day". A few weeks later, some of the organizers of the march were arrested, charged with inciting to riot. They were later acquitted. At the beginning of April, the Metropolitan Police began Operation Swamp 81, a plainclothes operation to reduce crime. Officers were dispatched into Brixton, and within five days around 1,000 people were stopped and searched, and 82 arrested, through the heavy use of the 'sus law' (stop and search powers). The 'sus laws' were a type of law which allowed police to arrest members of the public when it was believed that they were acting suspiciously and not necessarily committing a crime. The African-Caribbean community stated that the police were arresting black people without a specific reason.[citation needed]
The Catalyst
Public disfavour came to a head on April 10. At around 17:15 a police constable spotted a black youth named Michael Bailey running away, apparently from three other black youths. Bailey was stopped and found to be badly bleeding, but broke away from the constable. Stopped again on Atlantic Road, Bailey was found to have a four inch stab wound. A crowd gathered and, as the police did not appear to be providing or seeking the medical help Bailey needed quickly enough, the crowd tried to intervene. The police then tried to take the wounded boy to a waiting car on Railton Road. The crowd then struggled with the police, which resulted in more police being called into the area. Michael was then taken to a hospital. Rumours spread that the youth had been left to die by the police, or that the police looked on as the stabbed youth was lying on the street. Over 200 youths, black and white with predominantly Afro-Caribbean heritage reportedly turned on the police. In response the police decided to increase the number of police foot patrols in Railton Road, despite the tensions, and carry on with the "Operation Swamp 81" throughout the night of Friday the 10th and into the following day, Saturday the 11 April.
Bloody Saturday
Allegedly it was believed by the local community that the stabbed youth died as a result of police brutality, fuelling tensions throughout the day as crowds slowly gathered. Tensions first erupted around 4 pm, as two police officers stopped and searched a mini cab in Railton Road. By this time Brixton Road (Brixton High Street) was reportedly[by whom?] filled with angry people and police cars were pelted with bricks. At around 5 pm the tension escalated and spread, and the 9 o'clock BBC News that evening reported 46 police officers injured, five seriously. Shops were looted on Railton Road, Mayall Road, Leeson Road, Acre Lane and Brixton Road. The looting in Brixton reportedly started at around 6 pm. At 6.15 pm the fire brigade received their first call, as a police van was set on fire by rioters in Railton Road, with the fire brigade being warned "riot in progress". As the fire brigade approached the police cordon, they were waved through without warning, driving down Railton Road towards 300 youths armed with bottles and bricks. The fire brigade met the crowd at the junction between Railton Road and Shakespeare Road and were attacked with stones and bottles.
The police put out emergency calls to police officers across London, asking for assistance. They had no strategy,[citation needed] and only had inadequate helmets and non-fireproof plastic shields to protect themselves with while clearing the streets of rioters. The police reportedly[also had difficulties in radio communication. The police proceeded in clearing the Atlantic-Railton-Mayall area by pushing the rioters down the road, forming deep shield walls. The rioters responded with bricks, bottles, and petrol bombs.
At 5.30 pm the violence further escalated. Ordinary black and white members of the public attempted to mediate between the police and the rioters, calling for a de-escalation by withdrawing police out of the area. The destructive efforts of the rioters peaked at around 8 pm, as those attempts at mediation failed. Two pubs, 26 businesses, schools and other structures were set alight as rioters went on a rampage. Hundreds of local residents were trapped in their houses, locked in by either police or rioters.
By 9.30 pm, over 1,000 police were dispatched into Brixton, squeezing out the rioters.[15] By 1.00 am on 12 April 1981, the area was largely subdued, with no large groups – except the police – on the streets. The fire brigade refused to return until the following morning. Police numbers grew to over 2,500, and by the early hours of Sunday morning the rioting had fizzled out.[3]
Aftermath
During the disturbances, 299* police were injured, and at least 65* members of the public, 61 private vehicles and 56 police vehicles were damaged or destroyed. 28 premises were burned and another 117 damaged and looted. 82 arrests were made.
Between 3 and 11 July of that year, there was more unrest fuelled by racial and social discord, at Handsworth in Birmingham, Southall in London, Toxteth in Liverpool, Hyson Green in Nottingham and Moss Side in Manchester. There were also smaller pockets of unrest in Leeds, Leicester, Southampton, Halifax, Bedford, Gloucester, Wolverhampton, Coventry, Bristol, and Edinburgh. Racial tension played a major part in most of these disturbances, although all of the riots took place in areas hit particularly hard by unemployment and recession.
1985 Brixton riot
The Brixton riot of 1985 started on 28 September in Lambeth in South London. It was the second major riot that the area had witnessed in the space of four years, the last in 1981. It was sparked by the shooting of Dorothy "Cherry" Groce by the Metropolitan Police, while they sought her 21 year old son Michael Groce in relation to a suspected firearms offence; they believed Michael Groce was hiding in his mother's home.
After two days of riots, photo-journalist David Hodge had died, 43 civilians and 10 police officers were hurt, one building had been destroyed amongst a number of fires, 55 cars had been burnt out, and 58 burglaries had been committed including acts of looting.
In March 2014, the police eventually apologised for the wrongful shooting of Mrs Groce. A subsequently inquest jury in July 2014 concluded that eight separate police failures had contributed to Mrs Groce's death, for which the present Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe subsequently "apologised unreservedly for our failings" to the family.
Background
1981 Brixton riot and Michael Groce
The community of Lambeth, post the 1981 Brixton riot, had lost trust in the Metropolitan Police, with many of the mixed race but mainly Afro-Caribbean population believing the police to be institutionally racist.
21 year old Michael Groce was one of six children born to Mrs Dorothy "Cherry" Groce, who had immigrated to the area from Jamaica when she was in her early teens. From aged six much of his life was spent in residential care, brought up in Tinworth House, on a rough housing estate in Vauxhall. Michael was involved with street gangs, and had been exposed to guns during his childhood. He spent time in and out of prison throughout his life, and by 1985 had accrued 50 convictions and 15 different spells in prison.
After being released from prison two months before, whilst out on license Michael became concerned with a turf-war between local street gangs. Subsequently given a gun for protection by a friend, a few days before the riots Michael was in an argument with his girlfriend at his mothers house, and in a fit of showing-off fired the gun into a wardrobe. Shortly afterwards, he heard a knock on the door and went down to answer it, finding a police officer enquiring if he was Michael Groce. He attempted to close the door, but after the police officer would not let him, Michael put the gun into the officer's mouth. After the officer left, Michael cleaned the gun and placed it in the house, then fled to his sister's home.
Raid on Cherry Groce's house
On the morning of 28 September 1985, a group of police officers raided Cherry Groce's house on Normandy Road, Brixton, including an armed CID officer, searching for suspected armed robber Michael Groce. Mrs Groce was in bed, whilst three of her six children were in residence. The police did not give local residents any warning of the raid, and entered the house with force. During the raid, Mrs Groce was shot in the chest; after an extensive search, the police did not find Michael Groce. An ambulance was called, and by the time it had arrived a small crowd had gathered outside the house. Mrs Groce was taken to St Thomas' Hospital in central London.
Riots
As word of the shooting spread throughout the community, rumours persisted that Mrs. Groce had in fact been killed in the raid. The group that had gathered outside her house grew to over 60, and then moved to the local district police station, where they began chanting "murderers" and anti-police slogans, demanding disciplinary action against the officers involved.
However, hostility between the largely black crowd and the largely white police force quickly escalated into a series of mild street battles. These then developed into elongated skirmishes in the areas of Brixton Road and Acre Lane, where the first two of a total of 55 cars over the following 48 hours were burnt out. In response the police deployed the first 50 officers in riot gear in the afternoon, who approached rioters by banging their truncheons on their riot shields. Through force which involved a number of reported unprovoked attacks on local passers-by and accredited members of the media, the police cordoned off the area around the police station on Brixton Road, and then cleared the surrounding shopping district.
That evening, the police lost control of the area for approximately 48 hours. In the subsequent riot, severe injuries were sustained by both sides, with police injured as they were attacked by young black youths equipped with bricks and wooden stakes. After further skirmishes, the rioters built a defensive wall out of upturned cars across the Brixton Road, which were set alight at various times. From behind this wall, the rioters threw petrol bombs at the police, and looted local shops. Police later stated that they made 149 arrests that evening, mostly for violence, 20 for burglary and theft and two for petrol bombing.
In the aftermath, photo-journalist David Hodge died a few days later as a result of an aneurysm, after being attacked by gang of looters he was trying to photograph. In total over 50 people were injured, 200 arrests were made, one building and dozens of cars were destroyed, and several shops had been looted.
In a press conference on 30 September, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Richard Wells described the shooting of Mrs Groce as tragic, and whilst recognising the resultant "genuine feelings, particularly those of the relatives and friends of Mrs Groce", blamed the riots on "an unruly criminal element.
Subsequent riots: Peckham, Toxteth and Tottenham
On 30 September in Peckham, south London, gangs of black youths began throwing petrol bombs and setting shops alight. A major fire at a carpet warehouse off Peckham High Street was reported.
On 1 October 1985, 10 people (including three police officers) were injured in a second riot in Toxteth on 1 October 1985, after gangs stormed the district's streets and stoned and burnt cars in response to the arrest of four local black men in connection with a stabbing. Merseyside Police Operational Support Division was deployed into the area to restore order and were later criticised by community leaders and the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Liverpool, Derek Warlock for their "over zealous and provocative tactics" which included the drumming of batons on riot shields.
One week later, another serious conflict, sparked by similar circumstances, broke out between the Metropolitan Police and mainly black residents of North London's Tottenham district in what became known as the Broadwater Farm riot.
Never again would the Ventrue clan use heavy handed police tactics within the London domain against the Brujah clan. They had finally recognizing that public opinion of Southern London'ers was adamantly hostile towards the constabulary. The Brujah clan celebrated their small victory and rewarded McVitea support throughout the 1981 and 1985 riots (consisting mostly of transporting jerry cans of petrol and milk bottles) with the embrace.
However the anarchy generated by the rioting, attracted Sabbat infiltration within the region which the Brujah found difficult to counter. They had isolated themselves from many of their Camerilla counterparts and pleas to the Capital fell on deaf ears. The Ventrue clan was angry and refused to lend aid to the Brujah of southern London. This isolation allowed the sabbat to kill or convert the cockney Brujah one by one. However McVitea survived by managing to convince one of the invading nomad packs (called the hellhounds) that he was a newly embraced member of the Camerilla and he wished to join them (not really a lie since he did!). Eventually the pack was destroyed, but McVitie survived by abandoning the Hellhounds when things began to look bad. He has retained a persona of a stray Sabbat pack member but usually is greeted with disdain and derision for not dying with his pack mates.