Rosie Cowan and Vikram Dodd
Thursday December 4, 2003
The Guardian


October 5 1985 Cynthia Jarrett, 49, collapses and dies during police raid on her home in Tottenham, north London.


October 6 Riots break out after peaceful demonstration by Mrs Jarrett's relatives. PC Keith Blakelock, 40, approached by mob, dies from machete wounds.


October 13 Winston Silcott, 26, charged with murder of PC Blakelock. Engin Raghip, 19, charged on December 13 and Mark Braithwaite, 18, on February 10 1986.


March 19 1987 All three convicted of murder and sentenced to life.


November 25 1991 Appeal court overturns Silcott's conviction following doubt over police evidence. Silcott also serving life for stabbing to death amateur boxer Tony Smith and remains in jail.


December 5 Raghip's and Braithwaite's convictions quashed by appeal court.


July 26 1994 Former Det Chief Supt Graham Melvin and Det Insp Maxwell Dingle cleared at Old Bailey of fabricating evidence in Blakelock case.


October 15 1999 Silcott receives £50,000 in out-of-court settlement with Met. Met does not admit liability.


January 2000 PC Blakelock's murder under review by Met.
October 17 2003 Silcott released after serving 17 years for Smith's murder.




Does anybody remember Cynthia Jarrett? I read everywhere now that she died from a heart faliure. But I distinctly remember a report saying she was shot by a trigger happy policeman who burst into the room whilst on a raid.

Tell me - are we being hoodwinked?

When people talk about the riots, is it more about P.C Blakelock then Cynthia?

Even a while backour teacher was trying to tell us that all the riots were about unemployment!

Tell us what you think about the whole event.