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Michael Freshwater

Age: 49

Sex: male

Date: 29 Apr 2016

Place: Westridge Road, Southampton, Hampshire

Michael Freshwater was stabbed to death at a flat in Westridge Road, Southampton on 29 April 2016 following a drugs related dispute.

His body was found at 4.15pm.

It was said that he had stormed into the property with a sawn-off shotgun to rob some drug dealers and that he had been stabbed in the process. He had been stabbed three times in the chest.

During the course of the police investigation, seven men were convicted of drug offences including one man who was sentenced to 16 years and another to 8 years. The investigation was said to have uncovered a £676,000 cocaine and heroin drugs conspiracy.

Three of the drug dealers were held on suspicion over Michael Freshwater's death, but none of them were charged although they were convicted of drugs offences. The police brought murder charges against the men, but the charges were thrown out. The police appealed against the ruling but were unsuccessful.

By 17 May 2016, 12 people were arrested for various offences:

  • A 26-year-old man: charged with perverting the course of justice.
  • A 17-year-old boy from London: arrested on suspicion of murder.
  • A 16-year-old boy from Kent: arrested on suspicion of murder.
  • A 22-year-old man: arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender and conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.
  • A 23-year-old woman: arrested on suspicion of two counts of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.
  • A 24-year-old man from London: arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.
  • A 25-year-old man from Hampshire: arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.
  • A 30-year-old woman from Southampton: arrested on suspicion of perverting the course of justice.
  • A 36-year-old man: arrested on suspicion of murder.
  • A 43-year-old man from Southampton: arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply Class A drugs.
  • A 34-year-old man: arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender.

Known convictions arising out of the investigation included:

  • A 25-year-old man that had been on the run: sentenced to 16 years for supplying Class A drugs and an unrelated robbery.
  • A 25-year-old man from Southampton: sentenced to 8 years for conspiring to supply heroin and crack cocaine.
  • A 22-year-old man from Portswood: sentenced to 8 years.
  • A 23-year-old man from Portswood: sentenced to 6 years.
  • A 29-year-old man of no fixed abode: sentenced to 4 years and 6 months.
  • A 18-year-old man of no fixed abode: sentenced to 2 years.
  • A 34-year-old man from Shirley: given a two-year suspended sentence along with a 30-day rehabilitation requirement.

It was heard that most of the drugs gang were from London and had gone down to Southampton to muscle in on the drugs business there and had taken over the homes of drug users through intimidation.

At Michael Freshwater's inquest, the coroner said, 'I can say that it is probable that those three were present and implicated in Michael's death. It's conceivable that there was a struggle involving several people with weapons, a gun and a knife. During a confrontation the shotgun was discharged and Michael was stabbed three times by one or more assailants. He died at the scene as a result of one of the stab wounds in the struggle'.

The police said that they thought that Michael Freshwater, who was a drug user, had gone to the flat to rob it as he had already been there to buy heroin earlier in the day.

The police found a bullet hole in the ceiling of the flat which they said they thought had been fired during the struggle.

The police said that they were not looking for anyone else over the death but said it would review the case if new information emerged. They said, 'At this time, upon the advice of the Crown Prosecution Service, there is not enough evidence available to pursue a charge against any of those who were arrested in connection with the killing of Michael, aka ‘Micky’ Freshwater. There are no active lines of enquiry, and we are not looking for anyone else in connection with Michael’s death'.

Michael Freshwater had been a plasterer and was a former boxer. He had four children and was originally from London but had recently moved to Southampton.


*map pointers are rough estimates based on known location details as per Place field above.