AN OLD BAILEY JURY WERE TODAY MONDAY SHOWN PICTURE

AN OLD BAILEY JURY WERE TODAY MONDAY SHOWN PICTURES

TAKEN BY A BRAVE NEWSPAPER PHOTOGRAPHER SECONDS BEFORE HE WAS

ATTACKED AND KILLED IN THE BRIXTON RIOTS.

THE SNAPS SHOWED DRAMATIC SCENES OF YOUTHS LOOTING SHOPS

AND ONE OF THEM PICTURED HIS KILLER, SAID MRS BARBARA MILLS, QC,

PROSECUTING.

DAILY TELEGRAPH FREELANCE DAVID HODGE, 29, WAS SET UPON BY

A GANG OF UP TO A DOZEN MARAUDING BLACK YOUTHS WHO KNOCKED HIM TO THE

GROUND AND KICKED AND PUNCHED HIM, MRS MILLS ADDED.

HE WAS RUSHED TO HOSPITAL AND LATER RELEASED BECAUSE IT

WAS NOT BELIEVED HIS INJURIES WERE SERIOUS.

BUT A FORTNIGHT LATER HE

WENT INTO A COMA AND DIED, THE COURT HEARD.

‘HE WAS VIOLENTLY ATTACKED BECAUSE HE WAS TAKING PHOTOS

WHICH COULD HAVE LED TO THE IDENTITY OF THOSE TAKING PART IN THE

LOOTING,’ SAID MRS MILLS.

ELROY PALMER, 19, A SECURITY GUARD, OF EFFRA PARADE,

BRIXTON PLEADED NOT GUILTY TO THE MANSLAUGHTER OF MR HODGE, WHO LIVED

IN THE MILE END ROAD, EAST LONDON.

HE ALSO DENIES ROBBING MR HODGE.

MORE

FROM CENTRAL NEWS

PHOTOS.

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2

MRS MILLS SAID PALMER TOOK PART IN THE ATTACK AND MADE OFF

WITH MR HODGE’S VALUABLE NIKON CAMERA.

LATER THE LAST REEL OF FILM USED BY MR HODGE WAS

DEVELOPED.

.

THE FILM TOLD ITS OWN STORY, THE COURT HEARD.

TWO PICTURES TAKEN BY MR HODGE SHOWED SCENES OF RIOT.

OTHER SHOTS ON THE FILM SHOWED STREET SCENES AND PICTURES OF PALMER’S

FRIENDS WHICH HAD BEEN TAKEN BY THE DEFENDANT, SAID MRS MILLS.

MR HODGE, DESCRIBED AS A SUCCESSFUL AND ENTHUSIASTIC

PHOTOGRAPHER HAD BEEN SENT INTO THE RIOT ZONE ON 28 SEPTEMBER LAST

YEAR TO TAKE PICTURES OF THE RIOTING.

IT WAS AS HE MOVED IN ON YOUTHS LOOTING SHOPS IN THE

BRIXTON ROAD THAT HE WAS AMBUSHED BY A GANG, SOME OF THEM WEARING

MASKS, IT WAS SAID.

PALMER LATER SHOWED THE STOLEN CAMERA TO A NEIGHBOUR AND

ASKED HIM TO DEVELOP THE FILM.

HE WAS ALLEGED TO HAVE TOLD THE MAN

THAT HE TOOK IT FROM A PHOTOGRAPHER WHO WAS POINTING IT AT HIM AND

TAKING PICTURES.

,

PALMER WAS SAID TO HAVE ADDED THAT HE INTENDED KEEPING THE

STOLEN CAMERA AS ‘A TROPHY.

‘

WHEN THE NEIGHBOUR HEARD THAT MR HODGE HAD DIED OF HIS

INJURIES HE WENT TO THE POLICE.

PALMER AT FIRST DENIED ANY INVOLVEMENT IN THE ATTACK.

BUT

LATER HE WAS SAID TO HAVE TOLD POLICE THAT HE STOLE THE CAMERA FROM

ANOTHER BLACK YOUTH WHO HAD TAKEN IT FROM MR HODGE.

THE TRIAL CONTINUES.

END.

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