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| Tangled and tragic tale that
ended in a brutal axe killing |
Near decapitation shocked neighbours
– we uncover the full sad 20-year story
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Brian Messitt
Flowers left at the murder scene in March
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BRIAN Messitt was struck down by an axe on a leafy Belsize Park
Street in March in an horrific murder which shocked neighbours and
left the pensioner’s family devastated.
It was a seemingly motiveless attack that, prosecutors were at a
loss to explain.
Asked at the scene why he did it, the killer, Joseph Sheehan casually
replied: “I’ve known him for 20 years, it’s complicated.”
This week, as Sheehan appeared for the 16th time at the Old Bailey
where once again sentencing was delayed while doctors reports are
prepared, the New Journal has learned of a complicated, disturbing
and tragic story which links killer and victim over a period of
20 years.
We can reveal that while lawyers have been at a loss to establish
a strong link between the two men, they had in fact known each other
for years. Messitt, the victim, was close friends with Sheehan’s
foster father, who killed himself in 1989 while being investigated
over allegations of child abuse.
Sheehan, the killer, pleaded guilty to manslaughter due to diminished
responsibility in August. He is remanded in Broadmoor psychiatric
hospital.
Crown prosecutors admitted again yesterday (Wednesday) they were
still baffled by the motive for the grisly killing, which left Mr
Messitt, 67, nearly decapitated in Eton Avenue, Swiss Cottage.
The New Journal has learned that Sheehan, at one time, lived just
four doors away from Mr Messitt’s Haverstock Hill home –
and was seen with Mr Messitt several times by a neighbour.
Mr Messitt was also a regular visitor to the home of Sheehan’s
foster father, Michael Riley, of Haverstock Hill.
Sheehan was fostered by Mr Riley in the early 1980s and stayed with
him in his Haverstock hill home until 1985, when he turned 18.
In 1989 the New Journal published a report of the inquest into Mr
Riley’s death. The report revealed Mr Riley – who had
fostered several young children – was found slumped in the
corner of his flat in Haverstock Hill by Brian Messitt.
Our article told how Messitt spoke at an inquest at St Pancras Coroner’s
Court during which he made specific reference to a police inquiry
into allegations that Mr Riley had abused children.
A neighbour of Riley, who did not want to be named, told the New
Journal yesterday (Wednesday) that Mr Messitt had been well known
to children fostered by Mr Riley.
Both Mr Messitt and Sheehan had also been regular visitors to her
flat until three years ago.
The neighbour said: “Brian had been very close to Mike. He
was at his flat virtually every day and all Mike’s foster kids
knew him. After Mike died, Brian would come and visit me and Joe
came round often as well.
“Sometimes they would both be in the flat together. You could
tell from their body language that Joe and Brian were more than
just friends. On one occasion, not long after Mike died, I remember
that Joe got very angry with Brian and said he hadn’t done
enough to protect the children.”
According to the source, Sheehan lost contact with Mr Messitt after
the latter’s frequent travels to India. But Sheehan continued
to keep in touch with his former Haverstock Hill neighbours –
although he rarely mentioned Mr Messitt.
She said: “He had a lot of problems. He was very quiet, he
couldn’t really get on with people. I think the other kids
had bullied him – he was incredibly damaged. I felt sorry for
him. He used to talk about Mike and how much he hated him but he
never mentioned Brian.
“The council let all these kids down. They were just a bunch
of kids that no one wanted. Mike seemed nice on the surface but
he had a dark side. He shouted at the kids a lot and I think he
abused them.
“Brian was much nicer. He was very laid back and very gentle.
Their friendship was bizarre because he and Mike were so different.
I think Joe couldn’t get Mike back for what he had done and
he took it out against the closest person to him.” |
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