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Patrick Morgan

Age: 20

Sex: male

Date: 12 Jul 1988

Place: Weavers Field, Bethnal Green, London

Patrick Morgan was stabbed in Vallance Road, Bethnal Green on 12 July 1988 following a row at a fairground in Weavers Field.

He died from a stab wound to the heart.

An 18-year-old delivery driver was tried for his murder but acquitted after it was heard that it could not be proved that he had caused the lethal blow. A QC said, 'However suspicious a jury may be they can never safely and satisfactorily reject the possibility that the lethal blow was struck by somebody else'.

At the trial it was heard that although a number of people saw the fight, they all from time to time lost sight of Patrick Morgan which meant that they could not rule out that someone else stabbed him.

Patrick Morgan was stabbed twice in the chest during a knife fight following a row on a dodgem car ride at the fairground. After being stabbed he collapsed in a shop doorway near the fairground.

It was heard that Patrick Morgan had lost his temper after the youth had rammed the stationary dodgem car that he had been standing up in at the time causing him to hurt his head and that he had become angry and then stabbed the youth several times in response. It was heard however that the wounds, which had drawn blood, were not deep and that the youth had then asked his friends whether any of them had a knife and that he was then given a butterfly knife by a 19-year-old computer operator.

It was said that when they next met, Patrick Morgan had a metal cosh as well as the knife and he and the youth who then had the butterfly knife squared up to each other and then left Weavers Field and went into Vallance Road where they started fighting.

It was said that Patrick Morgan had hit the youth over the head with his cosh and that the youth was seen to lunge at Patrick Morgan twice at close range, causing Patrick Morgan to clutch his chest.

At the trial the youth admitted lunging at Patrick Morgan once and said that he didn't mean to kill him. He said, 'I lunged at him twice, but I thought I only got him once. I did not intend to kill him. I was shocked when I was told he had died and I didn't believe the police'. He also said that when he was told that Patrick Morgan had died that he had broken down and cried and that he had since suffered nightmares.

However, he was acquitted at the direction of the judge.

Patrick Morgan had lived in Fernhead Road in Paddington.


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