Brixtons braisen drug issue is finally addressed...

Photo obtained from PhotographLondon.com

When ever I have travelled through central  Brixton I have always been pleasantly surprised by the deliciously diverse community. The morning commute provides a surprising amount of suits on route to work in the city, whilst the Friday nights draws the party goers to some of the areas trendy bars,clubs and restaurants. Combined with the good local transport links within travelling distance to Central London, a range of local regeneration to improve housing, its no surprise that more people are considering living in Brixton. 

However despite the noticeable pleasant change in the areas current image, the blatant drug and drink activity   on every other shop entrance is a stark reminder of the more sinister side of living in inner city. Numerous complaints from the public and shop keepers about the intimidating behaviour of drug dealers, beggars and drinkers has triggered Lambeth Council to introduce a dispersal zone. South London Press revealed that earlier this month Police have been given increased powers to disperse groups of 2-3 people if they believe they are "up to no good". The zone will also give officers the power to send under 16's home after 9pm and will cover over 15 roads. 

Those who disobey Police direction could face up to 3 months in jail and the clamp down will be in action until July 31st. Despite a few minor issues about  how well the zone can be managed I feel that the Police intervention has been  long overdue...

Joint enterprise or guilty by association?

On the 2nd of July 2011, 15 year old boy was chased by a group of youths near Gipsy Hill Road in South London. Zac Olumegbon was then brutally stabbed to death within a few meters of his school gates. In December the Old Bailey ruling saw 17 year old knife man Ricardo Giddings jailed for a minimum of 18 years. 18 year old Kyle Kinghorn and Helder Demorais, 17 both received a minimum of 16 years, whilst  Shaquille Haughton a 12 year sentence. The 5th member was 17 year old Jermael  and although not proven guilty for killing the victim, was convicted to serve a minimum of 14 years under the legal principle of joint enterprise.

Jermael's mother Sonia Moore,  is adamant that her son had no idea of what was going to happen the fatal day Zac lost his life. Ms Moore told South London Press “I was the one who brought my son into the police station. It was a difficult decision but I knew my son and I knew he was not capable of murder.” “When the police charged him for murder on joint enterprise, that was the first time I had heard about it."

 The Met’s senior investigating officer, Detective Chief Inspector John McFarlane was reported to have said: “This case must act as a deterrent to other young people who think they will not be prosecuted or go to prison just because they did not deliver the fatal blow". The legal term "joint - enterprise" indicates that anyone who agrees to commit a crime with another individual is also liable for the crime commited.

Earlier this month Stephen Lawrence killers Gary Dobson and David Norris were successfully convicted under the law after nearly 19 years due to new DNA evidence. Committee chairman Sir Alan Beith stated that “This area of law is vital to ensuring the prosecution and conviction of criminals involved in gang-related violence in particular...”

However Ms Moore, who still lives in South London felt that  “There is nothing positive about this joint enterprise to me. Why should you charge someone for a murder they did not commit? “To them, it seems easier to throw the net over the lot of them. That is one less problem." The 43-year-old is also a member of the Joint Enterprise: Not Guilty By Association (JENGbA) campaign.

Having grown up in an area not so far away from Gipsy Hill and from my experience of growing up within South London I know too well how easy it is to be tarnished by your association in the eyes of the law. My current questioning of the use of  joint enterprise is  not to take away from the appalling crimes committed or to take away responsibility from individuals who socialise with gang members. 

From general understanding of the law; murder would require two main factors:

• The act of taking another's life, and the intention to do so
• Or to cause "really serious harm"

Arguably anything less or in between may not necessarily suggest innocence - but with the array of assault and public disorder offences available to deal with group crime, the use of the murder verdict collectively for prosecuting may not always be appropriate or fair. 

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