'My son died in fall after Pete Doherty's party - I made him one last promise'
It's been 17 years since Mark Blanco's fatal fall from the balcony of an east London flat - but his grief-stricken mother is still searching for answers after making her son a heartbreaking final promise. The 30-year-old died following a gathering attended by The Libertines frontman, Pete Doherty, when he fell from a third-floor balcony.
The Cambridge University graduate was taken to the Royal London Hospital's intensive care unit (ICU) but had sustained non-survivable head injuries. Ahead of a new Channel 4 documentary about the case, set to air at 10pm this evening, Mark's mother Sheila Blanco spoke about her grief at her son's death and how she had never given up her mission to find out what had happened.
The gathering took place at the home of Doherty's literary agent, Paul Roundhill (AFP)
Mark sustained fatal head injuries (REX/Shutterstock)Guildford-based teacher Sheila told The Sun: "I was the last person to say goodbye. I put my head on his chest and I promised I would find out what happened and I've always been committed to that."
The party in question had taken place at the Fieldgate Mansions home of Doherty's literary agent Paul Roundhill, who reportedly kicked aspiring actor Mark out after he urged Doherty to see his stage show, The Accidental Death of an Anarchist. Mark then returned two minutes later only to be once again ejected by Roundhill and Jeannevol. As Mark lay dying in his ICU bed, friends began to tell Sheila their accounts of the evening, leading to her wanting to know more.
Sheila recalled: "His right eye was black when he got there, as though he'd been attacked, although I know that can be caused by brain injuries." The area where Mark fell was reportedly never cordoned off by police, and when Sheila visited Fieldgate Mansions that same day, she spotted what she believed to be red blood stains on the stairs.
Pete Doherty makes questionable style choice at Paris fashion show
The aspiring actor was a Cambridge graduate (REX/Shutterstock)
Doherty later admitted he had 'legged it' after discovering dying Mark (Getty Images)The Met told the programme: "Our sympathies remain with the family of Mark Blanco. Police conducted an investigation of all the evidence available following his death. Following the initial investigation, the death has been subject to various reviews by the Met where areas for reinvestigation were highlighted, these were progressed by homicide detectives and we have also undertaken expert analysis of the CCTV footage. The investigation into the death remains ongoing and any new evidence or information will be assessed by detectives.
CCTV analyst and FBI instructor Grant Frederick has examined footage of the fall. He used 3D and reverse projection, overlaying new film on the original images, to “step back in time”. Mr Frederick said: “The reverse projection clearly shows there couldn’t be just one person on the balcony. What I would see is that Mark has come out and somebody has taken Mark and is putting him over the balcony. If the measurements and the distance are correct, then Mark was thrown over the balcony, Mark was murdered.”
In his 2022 memoir, A Likely Lad, former heroin addict Doherty admitted he "legged it" after discovering Mark as he hadn't wanted any trouble following run-ins with police. He told the show: "I am sorry for Mrs Blanco’s loss. I welcome any assistance people can give her." Roundhill added: "Mark was a good friend. I would not protect anyone who had a part in his death." Jeannevol had initially confessed to police to killing Mark but later retracted his statement, claiming he had been high on cocaine.
If you're struggling and need to talk, the Samaritans operate a free helpline open 24/7 on 116 123. Alternatively, you can email [email protected] or visit their site to find your local branch
Pete Doherty, Who Killed My Son? will air Monday, September 25 on Channel 4 at 10pm
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