On Monday 1 February 2016 the inquest into the death of Ronnie Khan commences at Southwark Coroner’s Court. It is listed for 8 days before a jury, and is expect to finish on Thursday 11 or Friday 12 February.
Mohammed Khan’s son, Ronnie Khan, was shot dead by person(s) unknown on Forest Hill Road, Southwark, on 3 November 2011. The police recognise that Ronnie was an innocent bystander when he was shot.
Ronnie was leaving the funeral of Joel Morgan at the time of the incident. Joel Morgan, who had died in a traffic accident in Surrey, was a member of the GAS gang based in Lambeth. The gang had a history of tensions with rival gangs, including the Peckham Young Guns and Peckham Boys. Ronnie was an old school friend of Joel Morgan but not a gang member.
Joel’s funeral took place in three stages at separate locations: the service (Lambeth), the burial (Southwark) and the wake (Lambeth). Ronnie died just outside the cemetery in Southwark.
The family are looking forward to hearing evidence from officers from Surrey Police and the Metropolitan Police Service, to explore:
- whether there were any failings in the handling of intelligence concerning gang tensions at the funeral;
- why there was no police presence at the cemetery, despite the intelligence received and Joel Morgan’s mother requesting a police presence;
- whether a reasonable policing plan might have prevented the death.
The family is represented by Kate Maynard of Hickman and Rose and Fiona Murphy of Doughty Street Chambers.