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A gang suspected of chasing a teenager moments before he plunged to his death from a tower block have escaped prosecution, an inquest heard today.
Ahmed Benyermak, 16, fell 60ft after he tried to flee the youths by scaling the outside of the building in Hackney — despite being afraid of heights.
A coroner returned a verdict of accidental death on the model pupil after hearing police had been unable to bring charges against any of the suspects.
The inquest in Poplar heard that Ahmed had been with friends on the 14th floor of the tower block near his home in August 2008.
They spotted six youths in hoodies riding bikes near the building and, fearing the gang was pursuing some of Ahmed's friends, they ran away.
Det Insp Jimi Teli told the inquest some used the lift or stairs but Ahmed, despite a fear of heights, tried to escape down the outside of the building after climbing over an open balcony on the 14th floor.
He managed to reach the seventh floor, where he got stuck, and shouted for help before losing his grip and plummeting to his death.
The court heard that police arrested six youths after they were caught on CCTV while fleeing the scene and questioned 295 witnesses.
Coroner Gail Elliman said: “The police tried hard to see if anyone could be held responsible. But this is going to be described as nothing more than a terrible accident in terrible circumstances.”
The schoolboy died hours before he was due to pick up his GCSE results which showed that he had passed all nine subjects.
A Met spokesman said: “This case is not closed. We are still asking for anyone with information to come forward.”
Reader views (10)
Nabil- I’m seriously hoping you never get called for jury duty as you seem to have a limited ability to follow the basic facts. Read read the story properly and then tell us all what crime the 6 youths should be charged with.
Consider, for example the line, “They spotted six youths in hoodies riding bikes near the building and, fearing the gang was pursuing some of Ahmed's friends, they ran away.” It doesn’t actually say that they were pursued does it? Even if they did give chase, which is far from certain, how is foreseeable to the gang that it would lead to Ahmed’s death? If his death wasn’t reasonably foreseeable to them how are they responsible.
For example Nabil, if you suspected someone had stolen your wallet and gave chase to them and they ran into the road without looking and got hit by a car should you, de facto, be liable for their death?
There really is some short sighted, stupid, knee jerk comments on here about broken Britain etc, obviously by people you either haven’t read the storey properly or just haven’t understood it. Try some critical thinking before posting comments!
- Nj, London, 05/02/2010 11:29
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So @kev, London uk, would you agree if witnesses came forward and identified the six youth as being the ones having chased the boy, we have a case to convict them?
or you wish to wriggle them out of it as they did not actually touch him physically?
let's see if you too know what you are talking about, paly...
- Nabil H, London, UK, 04/02/2010 19:14
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Kev, London. I applaud your voice of sanity
- Simon, london, 04/02/2010 18:19
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Kev knowing whose guilty and proving it are different things
- Duncan, Kent, 04/02/2010 17:50
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More ignorant comments i have yet to read,feral youths,broken Britain etc,it certainly would be broken if we all held ignorant opinions as below.Have none of you any concept of justice.one needs to prove guilt before you punish! other wise you are a lynch mob! comprehend?
- Kev, London uk, 04/02/2010 16:59
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Maybe the authorities could send this gang to Centre Parcs for them to adjust to society, What a pathetic legal system, has law and order vanished from the UK.
- Mr S.Port, London, 04/02/2010 16:26
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Tragic-This poor boy was literally 'scared to death' by the feral morons allowed to freely prowl at large.
I strongly agree with Nabil, -some lateral thinking is urgently required on the subject, -because whatever is being done at the moment to make our streets safer for everyone, -obviously isn't working!
Or are our hands tied by 'The European court of human rights'?
- Huggy, Cumbernauld Scotland, 04/02/2010 16:11
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"Yet another example of broken Britain and feral youth. This lad's death is a tragedy that can only be blamed on New Liebours soft policy"
So when two feral youths murdered Jamie Bulgar it was a Labour government in power was it? I think you'll find, despite your obvious political bias, that mindless acts of violence happened under the Tories, the so-called party of law and order, with just the same frequency.
It sounds like trying to make political gain out of some poor lads tragic death is something you would like Cameron to do?
- Anna, London, 04/02/2010 16:06
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This is why corporal punishment is so great in cases like these, give them 20 (non-lacerative, we are not barbarians) painful lashes, and next time, these six (hoodies) youth will think more than twice before running after a helpless teenage.
But nah, we are too sophisticated to implement corporal punishment, only prison will do, or nothing...
well let's carry on suffering then, and looking behind our shoulders when walking in dark alleys... "civilised" brethren.
- Nabil H, London, UK, 04/02/2010 15:14
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Yet another example of broken Britain and feral youth. This lad's death is a tragedy that can only be blamed on New Liebours soft policy on crime (unless you are defending your home of course).
- Adam, Harrow, Uk, 04/02/2010 14:39
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