Greg Watson

Greg Watson was stabbed on his way home from the Notting Hill carnival at about 10pm.

A man was tried for his murder but acquitted. The judge said that the evidence against him was uncertain and inconsistent and he stopped the case and instructed the jury to find the man not guilty.

It was heard that the prosecution had only one witness and that twelve people that had taken part in an identification parade had been unable to identify the man and three of them said that the man that had stabbed Greg Watson was not in the parade. It was further heard that the only witness had admitted that he had not seen the man stab Greg Watson and that he had only identified him after watching the CCTV video of the attack.

His murder was caught on CCTV and was later broadcast on the television with the permission of his family. However, whilst the footage showed the stabbing, only the back and part of the murderer's head could be seen. The man that had stabbed him was described as muscular and had been wearing a hooded top. He had been stabbed with a long-bladed knife.

Greg Watson had lived in Northolt and had been on his way home at the time when he was attacked in Kensal Road by the junction with East Row.

It was said that the man tried for his murder had been pestering a girl for her telephone number and Greg Watson had intervened. It was then said that the man had told the girl to wait there a moment and then took a kitchen knife out of his jeans and stabbed Greg Watson in the side, to the right of his abdomen.

It was heard that after stabbing him a girl had said, 'You've knifed him', and that the man had replied 'So what?'.

When the police went to arrest the man tried for the murder they said that they found him hiding inside a wardrobe.

After the man was acquitted the police said that whilst they had identified many of the witnesses in the video, there was alleged intimidation and people were reluctant to speak. They also said that in the Harlesden, Wembley and Willesden area there was a general code of not helping the police. They also said that due to bad luck, some people that had been there had simply not seen things clearly due to the sheer shock and speed of the assault.

Over the two days of the carnival, there were 278 crimes committed including two murders and 18 other stabbings. A policeman said, 'We are giving the impression it's safe to come to carnival and have a good time, but that's not the case. It's intimidating, it is hostile, and it can be very aggressive'.

Abdul Bhatti was also murdered during the carnival in a separate murder that is also unsolved.

Greg Watson had a three-week-old daughter at the time he was murdered. He had been a delivery driver.