TJ's killer guilty

An Old Bailey jury yesterday found Barry Normah of Watergate Street, SE8 guilty of killing TJ last year.  He's yet to be sentenced but we can hope for justice.

I only knew the red light bit second-hand before but it came out in the trial. This is Local London reports:

Pedestrian Claire Ridge was standing beside him at the pedestrian crossing before he was hit by a silver Audi A3 at around 5pm.
She told the Old Bailey: "A boy on a bike came to my right hand side. He crossed the road - the red man was still showing but the cars had stopped, the traffic lights were red.
"Then I saw this car approaching really quickly and I thought 'what is this car doing - it was my turn to cross, it was the pedestrian's turn to cross'.

"I thought it was going to stop but it slammed straight into the boy. The boy flew to the other side of the road and crashed to the floor."
Jurors heard that the driver of the car initially failed to stop, continuing along Deptford Church Street, before turning around at the traffic lights and coming back to the scene.
He paused for a short while before eventually driving off again. Police later found the Audi dumped in nearby Watergate Road at around 7pm.

Ghost bike for TJ

Last week, six months after his death, a 'ghost bike' was placed next to the pedestrian crossing on Deptford Church where Olatunji Johnson Adeyanju was knocked from his bicycle while crossing the road. This coincided with the announcement that the hit-and-run driver has been charged with causing death by dangerous driving and failing to stop at the scene of an accident. The accused man will stand trial at Woolwich Crown Court on October 2nd.

Along with the appearance of the ghost bike, some of TJ's friends came to stand vigil, and another tribute to TJ was added to those already left in the comments section of the Crosswhatfields' post written the day after TJ was killed on 23rd March.

Also this week, The Times named TJ as one of 88 cyclists killed on Britain's roads so far this year.

Update 3/10/2012: Marmoset failed to get any information from the court over the phone so went down to Belmarsh today.  The accused, Barry Normah, appeared on 2 October for what was a preliminary hearing.  2 dates were decided: 21 December 2012 for a Police and Case Management Hearing and trial proper on 11 March 2013,  both at Belmarsh. 

Deptford remembers TJ

A massive attendance ensured St Paul's Church was filled to the rafters last Tuesday morning, 24th April, as family, friends, well wishers and distinguished guests (including Dame Joan Ruddock) came to say goodbye to TJ, the young man who died from his injuries after being knocked down by a hit-and-run driver on Deptford Church Street.

TJ's white coffin arrived in a beautiful white horse drawn carriage, and was borne into the church by six of his friends (including Crossfields resident Jordan). TJ's uncle Steve delivered a superbly eloquent eulogy about the boy who he had raised as his own child. TJ would have been celebrating his 18th birthday in early May, and his graduation in a couple of month's time.

Young Jamilia touched everyone's hearts as she sang a note perfect and emotional rendition of I Will Always Love You – there could not be a dry eye in the house. Tributes were paid by many others: young relatives Ololade and Abimbola; teachers and leaders from Addey & Stanhope, Croydon College and Second Wave Youth Arts; and his friends stood up as a group and one by one came forward to speak.

Their words came unrehearsed and from the heart as they talked of their friend's supportiveness, his sunny disposition, his academic achievements and ambitions, and how he was always looking out for them.

Although the service was very High Church (St Paul's is Anglican), Father Paul's no-nonsense shepherding ("mobile phones off please") kept the congregation on terra firma. Since the accident had occurred right next to the church, the rector had observed the daily vigil held by TJ's friends at the crossing on Deptford Church Street now known as 'TJ's place'. Father Paul suggested TJ's real 'place' was next to God, in our heads and hearts. At the end of the service, Second Wave gave mourners a memorial card which had photos of TJ and the words "a good friend, our beloved TJ was respected by everyone. We will never forget his kindness, his gentle smile and his friendship."

As is Deptford tradition concerning very special people, the cars (and coach) followed the horse drawn carriage bearing the coffin all the way down Deptford High Street as the funeral cortege processed to Grove Park cemetery, where the service continued and TJ was buried.

Rest in peace, TJ

See our earlier post in March to read further tributes.

RIP TJ

There are now bouquets and messages of remembrance up on the central railings at the pedestrian crossing on Deptford Church Street by Bronze Street where TJ was knocked off his bike and killed by a hit-and-run driver in an allegedly stolen car yesterday afternoon. 

The local press clearly have better things to do on a Friday afternoon than cover the news and, as yet, I've still not found any local journalist who has bothered to report it.  All I have managed to find is the traffic delay reports (oh the inconvenience!) so all I know about it is just from asking around.  Reports are that he was taken to hospital by air ambulance but died around midnight.

I'm sure Crossfields residents would wish to join me in offering our deepest sympathy to TJ's family and friends.  RIP TJ

EDIT:  According to a posted comment, the air ambulance did not take him, instead he was taken to hospital by road ambulance.

UPDATE (25/03/2012): 

The Newshopper finally got round to publishing its account this morning.  I've copied the article in full:

17-year-old cyclist killed in Deptford hit and run

7:00am Sunday 25th March 2012 in News By Crime Reporter

POLICE are appealing for witnesses following a hit and run accident in Deptford which killed a 17-year-old cyclist.
Officers were called at around 5pm on Friday to Deptford Church Street, at the junction with Bronze Street.
A 17-year-old boy, named locally as TJ, had been knocked off of his bicycle by a silver Audi car as he was using the pedestrian crossing.
The car failed to stop and the driver continued south along Deptford Church Street, then turned around at the traffic lights before coming back to the scene.
Eventually, the driver stopped on the opposite carriageway before driving off again, turning left into Coffey Street.
The car, which had not been reported as stolen, was found abandoned in Watergate Street, Deptford, at around 7pm.
The cyclist was taken by London's Air Ambulance to King Collage Hospital with severe injuries and died there at 8.20pm.
Next of kin are aware but formal identification has yet to take place.
Inquiries are underway to trace the driver of the vehicle involved.
Anyone with information can contact the Road Death Investigation Unit at Catford Traffic Garage on 0208 285 1574 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

UPDATE (26/03/2012):
The Met Police say: "A 27-year-old man was arrested at approx 1430hrs on Saturday, 24 March, on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and failure to stop. He has been bailed to a date in May."

There is an Evening Standard article by a journalist who has actually spoken to TJ's uncle here: http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/london/tribute-to-special-guy-killed-in-hitandrun-7585657.html