British Policeman's Killer Charged with Murder

By Michael Drudge
London
17 January 2003

The man accused of killing a British policeman during an anti-terrorist raid this week has appeared in court to be formally charged with murder.

The 27-year-old suspect, Kamel Bourgass, attended a brief hearing Friday.

He entered no plea, and Judge Timothy Workman ordered him held without bail. Another hearing is scheduled for January 27.

The North African suspect, said to be from Algeria, was formally charged with stabbing to death Detective Stephen Oake, during an anti-terrorist raid on Tuesday in the city of Manchester.

Tuesday's raid was linked to the discovery last week of a small quantity of a deadly poison, called ricin, in a north London apartment.

Four North African men arrested in the London raid appeared in court Friday, but the judge imposed a media blackout on reporting details of the appearance. Those four suspects face trial on charges of terrorism and possession of chemical weapons.