Police 'disappointed' as drug dealer cleared of murder
Police in Northampton say they are disappointed after a drug dealer was cleared of killing Nehemiah Myrie in a town centre stabbing.
A jury at Nottingham Crown Court took just two hours to deliver a unanimous not guilty verdict to murder and manslaughter in the case of Terrence Smith.
He had been accused of fatally stabbing Mr Myrie at about 9.45pm on December 7 last year, at the junction of Grove Road and Kettering Road, Northampton.
The defendant, aged 28, of Grove Road, showed no emotion as the verdict was read out on day six of the trial.
The defendant showed no emotion as the foreman of the jury of seven men and five women read out its decision, but friends of the victim erupted with rage in the public gallery.
The acquitted defendant, who is a Jamaican national, was remanded in custody until a later date by the trial judge, Mr Justice Treacy, on immigration matters.
Acting Detective Chief Inspector Tom Davies said: "This is a difficult verdict for the family. This was always a challenging inquiry and I am satisfied that we have conducted a very thorough investigation and, while I respect the verdict of the court, I am disappointed at this outcome.
"Northamptonshire remains a safe place to live and work and a lot of the work we do is to prevent any incidents such as this from beginning and escalating.
"We will continue to work with communities to reduce the carrying and use of knives, as this case sadly highlights the tragic results that can occur.
"Terrence Smith is an overstayer and will be deported back to Jamaica. The investigation into Nehemiah's death is effectively closed but we will look at any new information should this come to light."
The court heard that after being stabbed in the neck Mr Myrie stumbled back towards his car and eventually collapsed outside Queensgrove Methodist Church in Kettering Road.
Passers-by took him to Northampton General Hospital in his own car after becoming frustrated waiting for an ambulance.
Medics tried to save his life but he had already died from a two-inch stab wound before he arrived in Accident and Emergency. The weapon has never been found.
The court heard that Mr Myrie sold crack cocaine and heroin.
Mr Smith admitted to making his living from selling cannabis and told the jury Mr Myrie was one of his regular customers.
Mr Smith had arrived in the UK in 2000 and was arrested in 2001 for breaching immigration rules.
He was granted a last-minute stay of execution while at the airport but then continued to ignore his reporting duties.
Mr Smith then began to use an alias, becoming an 'overstayer'.
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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