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Ricci Gallagher

Age: 46

Sex: male

Date: 6 Aug 2015

Place: Sudburys Farm Road, Little Burstead, Essex

Ricci Gallagher was found injured on the patio outside the farmhouse of a millionaire on 30 July 2015. He was taken to hospital but died on 6 August 2015.

He died from a head injury. He was found injured at the farmhouse shortly after he had reported a fire at his home in Blind Lane, a wooden structure, claiming that someone had poured petrol over it and set it on fire.

Two men were initially arrested in connection with Ricci Gallagher's murder, the millionaire and his gardener, but the Crown Prosecution Service later dropped the investigation due to insufficient evidence although they later reviewed the case in 2016.

It was said that Ricci Gallagher had burgled the farmhouse which was owned by a millionaire who had been the chief financial officer for a group of high street retail outlets and that the millionaire had reported being in a violent struggle with a suspected intruder.

The inquest into Ricci Gallagher's death heard that the millionaire had feared for his life after Ricci Gallagher smashed his way into his house with a baseball bat. However, the inquest also heard that there was uncertainty over the reasons behind the events. The coroner said that there were questions over the level of force used and whether Ricci Gallagher had fallen down the solid oak stairs.

The millionaire said that Ricci Gallagher had run towards his house with a baseball bat claiming that he was being followed and then smashed a patio window at his farmhouse and went inside and that he had then struggled with him to get him out and protect his property.

It was heard that on 30 July 2015, Ricci Gallagher made a number of 999 calls, in the last of which he had asked for an ambulance. However, it was said that in the last call, two other voices could be heard in the background, one of which was heard to say, 'You're going to need more than that, mate'.

At his inquest, it was reported that experts were unable to say exactly how his injuries were inflicted. His post mortem also revealed that he had possibly used cocaine sometime before his death.

In April 2016, it was reported that the Crown Prosecution Service were reviewing their decision to drop the murder investigation after Ricci Gallagher's widow requested that they look into it again. Later in October 2016, the Crown Prosecution Service said that the two men would face no further action. They said that their review into possible charges was 'extremely difficult'. They said, 'This has been an extremely difficult case to consider owing to its specific circumstances. The further evidence provided by the police has not strengthened the case to make a prosecution possible'. They also added that there was not enough evidence to prove there was an intention to kill or an intention to do Ricci Gallagher really serious bodily harm or some physical harm.

Ricci Gallagher was a delivery driver and had lived in Blind Lane, Little Burstead.


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