SHAMELESS
Dead burglar’s relatives now demand an apology from innocent pensioner
STABBED burglar Henry Vincent’s shameless family now want an apology from the pensioner who tackled him.
And they put up more flowers and messages near Richard Osborn-Brooks’ home after angry locals ripped them down.
The move sparked fury. One supporter said: “It’s disgusting to leave tributes for this criminal.”
It’s disgusting for people to leave tributes for this career criminal like he’s a war hero SUPPORTER WHO ARRIVED TO TEAR DOWN FLOWERS AT SHRINE
Relatives return three times to replace torn down flowers TENSIONS last night grew at a shrine to stabbed burglar Henry Vincent near the home of the pensioner who allegedly killed him.
Floral tributes left by the crook’s family at Richard Osborn-Brooks’ property had twice been torn down by angry neighbours – only for them to reappear for a third time yesterday.
And Vincent’s family vowed to return to the home every day to replace the messages to “Henryboy” – as they mounted a vigilante guard nearby.
They even demanded an apology from Richard, 78, who is under police protection with disabled wife Maureen, 76, amid fears of revenge attacks after he was released without charge.
It is claimed Maureen is so frightened she may never feel safe enough to return to the family house.
But friends, relatives and even strangers hailed former RAC driver Richard a hero after he tackled armed Vincent, 37, during a raid on his home in Hither Green, South East London, last Wednesday.
DISGUSTING
One supporter, calling himself Cecil Coley after a 72-year-old shopkeeper who killed a burglar in Manchester seven years ago and escaped charges, arrived from North London to tear down the flowers and messages.
He said: “The real victim here was the gentleman who was burgled.
“I had seen it in the media and I thought, ‘I’m going to drive down there.’ I saw the flowers attached to the fence and I just decided to take them off.
“I was just thinking, it’s disgusting for people to leave tributes for this career criminal like he’s a war hero when flowers should be left for Richard.
“I was going to leave them [the flowers] there but then I thought that people might interpret it differently.
“I hope this deters other people from breaking in to people’s houses. The whole nation is against Henry Vincent.”
Footage of the man tearing down the floral tributes has been shared hundreds of times online.
The man arrived on Monday and dumped the flowers in a cemetery.
When told Vincent’s relatives have put them back up at the shrine, he said: “Well, that’s more fun for me and more
flowers for the graveyard.” After the burglar’s family replaced the blooms yesterday, an angry local appeared and hacked at them with scissors.
The man, who did not want to be named, said of the shrine: “It was inappropriate, poor taste really.”
And neighbour Saverimuthu Augustine was furious some of the flowers had been tied to his fence.
The 78-year-old said: “I don’t appreciate it. If it’s a normal person it’s different, but he went and burgled a house. It could have even been my house.
“You’re thinking, ‘How long will it be up there?’”
As he spoke, Vincent’s cousin Elvina Lee and a woman claiming to be his aunt were spotted waiting in a car up the road from the shrine to the career crook, who spent years terrorising elderly and vulnerable homeowners with distraction burglaries and scams.
Elvina tied flowers to the fence again and said of Richard: “Murder is murder. I don’t care how it’s done. He took his life.
“I’ve got no sympathy for him. They’ve got no sympathy for us.
“This is the best place for these flowers to be. He (Vincent) wasn’t a murderer. He wasn’t a rapist. What they’re doing is wrong. He loved his family. They’re putting him up as a monster.”
Gesturing towards Richard’s house, she added: “That’s the real murderer.”
An aunt of Vincent’s said of Richard from her home in St Paul’s Cray, South East London: “He’s got no remorse. There is no remorse there. Have you ever heard that man say… not for Henry but for his mum and dad and his little girls, ‘I’m sorry for his kids.’ We didn’t put anything on the old man’s house. We put it across the road, where [Vincent] died.
“From where he went to where he died. We did not go near the old man’s house. We don’t want to know about the old man. Do you want the truth? He’s no f ***** g pushover.”
WOUND
There have been claims Vincent’s family “won’t rest until they get their revenge” for his death.
One Traveller who knew the crook said: “When I say revenge, I mean they’ll go armed with whatever they’ve got.”
Vincent died in hospital after suffering a stab wound to the chest as he broke into Richard’s home with alleged accomplice Billy Jeeves, 28. The pair fled but Vincent collapsed in the street nearby and was left to bleed to death.
Scotland Yard are still hunting for Jeeves. His burnt-out Vauxhall Astra van was found on Saturday in St Mary Cray.
Detectives say he has links with Orpington and Swanley, in Kent.
Elvina said: “Billy Jeeves? I love him. He shouldn’t be arrested.” Both Jeeves and Vincent were wanted over a string of alleged raids earlier this year.
A coroner released Vincent’s body to his family for burial as an inquest into his death was opened at Southwark coroner’s court yesterday.
Richard was originally arrested on suspicion of murder but freed after a public outcry over the case.
Murder is murder. I don’t care how it’s done. He took his life. There is no remorse there ELVINA LEE VINCENT’S COUSIN DEMANDS RICHARD FACES JUSTICE