Suspect in PC Yvonne’s murder is demanding payout from the police
A FORMER Libyan diplomat suspected over the murder of PC Yvonne Fletcher is demanding a payout from the British police, it was revealed yesterday.
Saleh Ibrahim Mabrouk claims he deserves “moral and material compensation” from Scotland Yard for “damage” to his reputation.
He is also accusing retired PC John Murray of causing him “harm” for taking legal action against him.
John cradled Yvonne, 25, in his arms after she was shot during a demonstration outside the Libyan People’s Bureau in St James’s Square, central London, in April 1984.
Mabrouk’s move was condemned as an “absolute disgrace” by John. He said: “It is an insult to Yvonne and myself and to all my supporters and all the officers out there today.”
A close aide of Libyan dictator Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, Mabrouk was based at the embassy and was allegedly involved in the decision to open fire on protesters.
He and the other diplomats were allowed to leave Britain and return to Libya – a decision that caused widespread outrage. In 2015, he was back in Britain and arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to murder while studying at the University of Reading.
No charges were brought and the investigation into his alleged involvement was dropped due to “national security concerns.”
He was banned from returning to the UK in 2019.
Mabrouk, now 62, made his claims of innocence in legal documents after John launched High Court proceedings against him for a token £1 damages.
In an application to strike out John’s civil action, which aims to demonstrate Mabrouk’s culpability, he writes: “Honourable judge, me and my family, have been harmed by Mr
John Murray and the British Police and I ask for moral and material compensation for the damage and harm caused to my reputation as an academic.” He claims the former police officer’s case against him is “not arguable” and adds: “There are no realistic prospects of success.” Mabrouk, a former education minister under Gaddafi, insists he was not present in the embassy at the time of the shooting as he had already been arrested and was in custody.
He is the only suspect to be arrested for Yvonne’s murder. He claims he left Britain in July 2018 at the request of Sajid Javid, the then Home Secretary, who banned him from returning in January 2019. After Yvonne’s death, film director Michael Winner set up the Police Memorial Trust to pay for monuments for officers killed in the line of duty.