Braybrook Street remembered
Monday August 16, 2010
Flowers have been laid at the exact spot where three police officers were savagely murdered 44 years ago.
At about 3.30pm on Friday, August, 12, 1966, three plain clothes police officers stopped their unmarked car, in Braybrook Street, close to Wormwood Scrubs. Two of the three officers, Sergeant Christopher Head and Constable David Wombwell, went to check out the occupants of a vehicle, while Constable Geoffrey Fox remained at the wheel of the police car.
The vehicle was occupied by three criminals: driver John Witney sitting alongside Harry Roberts with John Duddy in the rear. The three were intent on stealing a car for use in a robbery. Roberts was carrying a gun while two other weapons were in a bag next to Duddy.
Without warning, Roberts fired his luger pistol and Wombwell fell dead from a shot to the head. The next shot missed its target, but a third mortally wounded Head as he tried to run for cover behind the police car.
Moments later Geoffrey Fox fell victim to Roberts and Duddy, who both fired several shots as the officer attempted to reverse the police car at them.
On Thursday, August 12, 2010, officers from Shepherds Bush Police Station paid their respects to the fallen comrades by laying flowers on Braybrook Street.
Sgt Gerald Hyder, said: "The events of 1966 are a sad part of our police history and the youngest officer on duty lays flowers every year. It's nice that some local residents also attend, including one or two who were children at the time of the murders."
Cllr Greg Smith, Cabinet Member for Resident’s Services, said: “The murder of three unarmed police officers in cold blood all those years back was one of the darkest days in Shepherds Bush’s history. The Police are our last line of defence against the criminal minority and it is only right that their ultimate sacrifice is remembered every year. Thankfully, events like this tend to occur once in a generation but it should act as a reminder that officers often put themselves in danger in order to keep us safe.”
