George Edward Bromley

George Edward Bromley was shot dead in a friend's kitchen after being invited over for tea.

He had cycled to 6 Valescourt Road in Liverpool on the evening of 18 November 1997 where his friend was making a curry.

However, his friend was tried for his murder but acquitted. Two other men were also initially charged but only the friend was tried. One of the men arrested had been found in possession of the murder weapon and ammunition ten days after the murder.

It was heard that allegations had been made against some of the men that were arrested and some others such that he had been threatened by them four days after George Bromley was murdered. He said that one of them had told him, 'If you don't stop the rumours you will get three in the head just like George'. However, the man later retracted his allegations which it was said left little evidence against the men other than the fact that fingerprints of one of them had been found on a newspaper at the friends house and that another had been found with the gun.

George Bromley's friend said that he had been making George Bromley a curry at the time when someone called at the front door and that when he answered it a man rushed past him and into the house. George Bromley's friend said that when he saw that the man had a gun that he rushed out into the back garden from where he heard three shots and that when he went back in he saw George Bromley slumped on the kitchen table. He had been shot in the head.

He said that after that he called the police.

It was heard that at the time the police had told George Bromley that they were aware that there was a plot to shoot him.

George Bromley's friend said that he knew that George Bromley had a reputation and was considered a big name in the criminal underworld.

At the trial it was claimed that the friend had lured George Bromley to his home so that he could be killed by the mystery hitman. When the judge summed up he said that the jury had to decide whether the friend had plotted with anyone else and if so then he was guilty. He said that in the circumstances that it was immaterial that the friend had not pulled the trigger and that the prosecution did not have to prove why the friend had participated or even that he knew the identity of the gunman. The judge said that if the jury concluded that even if the friend had known the name of the gunman that that was insufficient to convict him of murder unless they were satisfied that he had participated and shared the intent to kill.

The defence noted that the friend was not very devious, and said, 'Mr Bromley could have been shot in any part of the city. He could even have been shot dead in a gym like two other men were recently. Please acquit this man on this charge of murder'.

George Bromley had lived in Alvanley Road in West Derby and had been a club doorman.

George Bromley's friend had been an armed robber in the 60s and 70s and at the time of George Bromley's murder had been running the Crooked Garden restaurant.