Northampton resident speaks out about 'notorious crime hotspot' at the centre of Robert Brown murder investigation
A Northampton resident who saw Robert Brown just hours before he was thought to be murdered has spoken out about issues in the area.
Northamptonshire Police launched a murder investigation after 57-year-old Robert Brown from Northampton was discovered by paramedics with a serious arm injury on a bench behind Auctioneers Court at around 6.30am on Friday, August 1.
A man who lives nearby, and asked not to be named, believes he was one of the last people to see Mr Brown alive.
He said: “I literally saw him sleeping on the bench that night, and then I woke up the next day and he was dead.
“It looked like he was just peacefully sleeping. Then the next morning, I saw police everywhere. Looked out from my balcony – everything looked exactly the same as it did the night before, except he wasn’t alive anymore.
“It’s messed with my head a bit. I passed on what I saw to the police just in case. Then it came out as a murder – and yeah, it made me feel a bit on edge.”
The resident, who has lived in the area since 2012, said the footpath area along the river has worsened in recent years, particularly since the pandemic, and described it as a hotspot for rough sleeping and crime.
He said: “It was never really like this before. There’s just a lot of rough sleeping, and they’re always about early in the mornings. It’s a whole community down there now. They've been like consistently down there for a good couple of years.”
In response, a Northamptonshire Police spokeswoman said: “We would encourage anyone with any concerns about anti-social behaviour in their area to contact us, as without being told about issues, we are unable to do anything about them.
“Although it may seem on the surface as if people’s concerns aren’t being responded to, work will be going on in the background to build a bigger picture of the issues in a local area in order for our team to come up with a holistic plan to tackle them.
“If you are experiencing anti-social behaviour in your area, please report it by calling 101 or reporting online at www.northants.police.uk/ro.”
Officers are still appealing for witnesses and have asked anyone in the area to check CCTV or doorbell footage between 7.30pm on Thursday, July 31 and 7am on Friday, August 1.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Northamptonshire Police on 101.
Charity Project 16:15 also paid tribute to Mr Brown, saying: “We knew him from the fringes of those we support, often had a chat in town and he was always keen to get back on his feet and be part of the support network for others who had fallen on hard times. His loss is another tragedy that shouldn't have happened.” Everything we know so far about the murder of Robert Brown on the riverbank in Northampton as police continue investigation