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Ricardo Hunter

Age: 34

Sex: male

Date: 25 Jul 2016

Place: Church Lane, Headley, Surrey

Ricardo Hunter was shot at a private pool party in Church Lane in the village of Headley, Surrey on 25 July 2016.

He was said to have died in the garden in the arms of several nurses that had been at the party and was declared dead at about 2.30am. He had been shot at close range in the chest and at the time had been bare-chested and wearing only his shorts.

There had been about 400 or 450 people at the party at the time. The event had been licenced by the local Mole Valley District Council in Surrey but it was reported that local neighbours had been furious about the noise and had complained to the police who were said to have attended and asked them to keep the noise down. A local councillor said that he had warned the police that there could be a disturbance because of the size of the event and from experience of the previous events held there. The councillor said, 'There was a noisy party last year that I know was problematic. It started at 11pm and went on until 5am on Monday morning so was decidedly unpopular. When it was clear that the repeat was being organised, I notified the police on behalf of the parish council and on behalf of the community. Obviously, I didn't realise what was going to happen. It (the house) is rented out. I understand it is the second or third of these parties. I was told last year that it was an event people were paying for tickets to attend. I became aware a large number of people were gathering. I called the police and asked them to patrol and make organisers know they should be considerate neighbours. I am pretty sure it was noisy through the night. I haven't spoken to enough people about it but I am sure people will be shocked and very worried'.

A man who had friends in Church Lane said, 'It was a group of African-origin people. There was a smashed car, glass everywhere. The house is next to the church and it is rented out for parties'.

A neighbour who was interviewed soon after the murder said, 'There was a very loud private party in a house very close to the church which started at 5pm and I was awoken by very loud music, rap-style. I was woken at 2.30am by cars honking their horns, trying to get away from it. It was a very loud party with a DJ which was disturbing anyone near it. About 3am a police helicopter was overhead, and it was circling for 45 minutes. The village is now swarming with police'.

The event had cost £20 a head to attend and attendees had been given wristbands to prove they had paid.

The pool party had been organised by a Jamaican dancehall star and rap artist, and hosted by his girlfriend, a dancehall DJ. It had been billed as a 'Big Mansion Pool Party' at a 'Posh Location in the Hills'. It had been held on the night of Sunday 24 July 2016 and had gone on through to the early hours of Monday 25 July 2016. The Jamaican dancehall DJ said that she had rented the house for the previous four years and had had two similar parties in that time without incident. The property was said to have been owned by a property developer who rented it out for parties and charged £5,000 a month. The property was described as being a mansion and worth £1,000,000.

She said, 'Before the shooting everything was nice and then it was chaos. We have never had problems before, and we have done the party on a yearly basis. At about two o'clock the crowd was getting unruly, I am not sure if it was the alcohol but by the time I got to the security I heard a gunshot, I saw people running, people were trying to get into the house. People weren't allowed in the house as it was a pool party, but they were banging on the door. I opened the door to let someone in, people were shouting to call the police, saying someone was shot, so I called the police and locked us in'.

She denied that it had been a sex party or a swinger’s party. She also said that she didn't know Ricardo Hunter.

Ricardo Hunter was seen to arrive at the party with some friends at about 1.40am in CCTV footage which was later released by the police.

His post mortem stated that he died from a single gunshot wound. He had been shot with a 9mm bullet from a handgun, but the gun was not recovered.

A 36-year-old woman was also shot in the leg and was taken to hospital and another man was shot in the shoulder.

Three people were arrested in connection with his murder but all released without charge:

  • A 28-year-old man from London was arrested on suspicion of murder, attempted murder and possession of an offensive weapon.
  • A 30-year-old woman was arrested in July 2016 on suspicion of assisting an offender and later released in March 2017.
  • A 38-year-old man from London was arrested in July 2016 and later released in March 2017.

The police said that they thought that the majority of the guests at the party were from London and appealed for anyone that they had not spoken to to come forward, noting that they were particularly keen to see pictures and videos that guests had taken whilst there.

The police said that they were interested in tracing a black and white Mini that was seen leaving the scene.

They also said that they thought that his shooting was planned.

Police forensics divers searched the nearby village pond for the gun as well as sewers and culverts.

Ricardo Hunter was known as 'Forty' or '40' and was from Coulsdon in South London.


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