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Natasha Derby

Age: 23

Sex: female

Date: 5 Sep 2004

Place: Multicultural Centre, St Mary Street, High Wycombe

Natasha Derby was shot in the head at a Ragga night party that she had organised.

A man was tried for her murder in 2005 but acquitted whilst another man was tried for her manslaughter in 2009 and also acquitted.

She had organised a Summer Jam music event at the Multicultural Centre in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire on 3 September 2004.

She was standing near the exit at around 2.30am on 4 September 2004 when she was shot. When the people in the venue heard the shot, many of them ran off.

She was taken to hospital where she was put on a life support machine but it was turned off in the early hours of 5 September 2004. She had been hit in the head, just above her right ear. A pathologist said that the bullet had hit her in the head at a 90-degree angle and lodged in her brain.

The gun was never found. The police said that they thought that the gun had been a blank firing replica that had been converted to fire live ammunition. The bullet used was said to have been home made.

A firearms expert said that the bullet had been home made for a modified cartridge case. He also ruled out the idea that she had been hit by a ricochet as the wound to her head was circular.

It was heard that there had been about 100 people on the dancefloor at the time although no one admitted to having seen anything other than one man who later went missing who said 'I saw a hand outstretched holding a gun, but I did not want to look at the man holding the gun.'

The police said that there had been a general reluctance for people to speak to them.

The man that was tried in 2009 was said to have taken the gun along with the intention of firing it in a wild west style during a particular piece of music and that when he had done so he had pointed the gun low and hit Natasha Derby. However, he was acquitted.

The first man that was tried for her murder had been charged after police found his fingerprint on the bullet casing that was found on the floor amongst the rubbish on the floor. He admitted handling the round earlier in a pub when someone had shown it to him but denied firing the gun. He was acquitted after it was heard that he had had his arm around a girl at the time of the shooting although he was convicted at the same trial of possessing ammunition.

Natasha Derby had lived at the YMCA in Crest Road in High Wycombe.


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