England riots claim fifth victim as man dies in hospital

[News_Editor]

England riots claim fifth victim as man dies in hospital

2011-08-12 07:10:54 GMT+7 (ICT)

LONDON (BNO NEWS) -- An elderly man who was attacked during the riots in London on Monday died of his injuries on late Thursday evening, police said on early Friday morning. It raises the nationwide death toll as a result of the unrest to five.

The riots in England began on Saturday in the Tottenham area of London in protest over the death of 29-year-old Mark Duggan, who was shot and killed by police on Thursday when they attempted to arrest him. The riots eventually spread to other cities in England during the next few days.

Richard Mannington Bowes, 68, was seriously injured on late Monday evening when he was attacked as he tried to stamp out a fire during the riots in Ealing, an area of west London. His wallet and mobile phone were also stolen, initially hampering police efforts to identify him.

Bowes was subsequently taken by ambulance to a west London hospital where he died at 11.52 p.m. local time on Thursday evening. "This was a brutal incident that resulted in the senseless killing of an innocent man," said Detective Chief Inspector John McFarlane of the Homicide and Serious Crime Command. "I still need the assistance of the community who may have witnessed the attack on Richard, to come forward and provide information or images they may have recorded on mobile devices. This information could be crucial in catching his killer."

On Wednesday, police released CCTV images showing a man who is suspected of carrying out the brutal attack. He is described as black with a big build, wearing a white t-shirt with writing on the front and a dark colored jumper over his shoulders.

More CCTV images were released on Thursday which show the suspected attacker in the Ealing area at around 8 p.m. local time on Monday, nearly three hours before the murder. He is seen participating in violence and looting and appeared to be in the company of a large group of others.

CCTV images have also been released of a witness who may have crucial information about the attack. "He had been in close proximity to the attack, recording the events on a mobile device," police said.

In addition to Bowes, four other people were previously killed during the riots. 26-year-old Trevor Ellis was killed during a shooting in the Croydon area of South London while three other men were killed in a hit-and-run incident in Birmingham while attempting to protect their neighborhood from rioters and looters.

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