Mums in town rocked by murder warned each other about man's 'strange behaviour'

16 October 2023 , 12:02

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Forensic officers could be seen at the scene. (Image: Evening Gazette)

A murder probe led by counter terrorism police is centred on a house shared by migrants who are believed to be asylum seekers .

An end terraced property in Hartlepool, County Durham, has been sealed off by police and a forensic team arrived today to carry out checks inside. It is thought the incident which led to two people being stabbed, one of them fatally, began at the house around 5.30am on Sunday.

A kitchen knife was found on the pavement outside a sandwich shop around 500 yards from the house. One man fought back tears as he laid two bunches of roses outside the property, too upset to comment.

Residents near the cordon in Hartlepool shared their fear (Evening Gazette)

Mothers living nearby had become alarmed by the behaviour of one of the four men who have lived at the house since around the turn of the year.

One mother said: "There is one guy whose behaviour was really strange and the mothers in the street started warning each other about him. He was constantly walking up and down and appeared to be staring at children, so we just made sure everyone knew to keep an eye on their kids.

"If he saw one of us watching him he would turn away and go in the other direction or pretend to be picking something up off the floor. No one came to any harm but we were very uneasy about him."

Another neighbour said: "I have seen four men at the property and they're from a mixture of ethnic backgrounds. One guy you would describe as black, another perhaps from Eastern Europe and one who might be described as Arab or middle eastern.

"It's a real shock to find that place is being searched by the police because there has never been any trouble there before, they live together and live quietly. I didn't hear a thing on Sunday morning but woke up to find the street swarming with police.

"It seems as though whatever started at the house has spread from there into the town because the tent erected to protect the murdered man's body was half a mile from the house. It's frightening because you have no idea who is being moved right into the middle of a residential area where we all live."

Cleveland Constabulary continue to investigate the death (Evening Gazette)

One resident describes the scene as like something from TV’s CSI series. It is believed the body of the murdered man was found by police at the end of Tees Street, opposite the town's Morrison's store.

Al Devon, a barber with a business on Tees Street, has worked with the town's homeless, offering free hair cuts from his salon. He said there has been a large influx of asylum seekers.

Mr Devon said: "No one has any issue with asylum seekers coming into Hartlepool but there has been a huge influx of young men coming here from other countries which are nothing to do with the current conflict.

"It's concerning with incidents like this happening. The town is already rife with unemployment and homelessness, it's not
equipped at all."

A police spokesperson said: "Counter Terrorism Policing North East have taken responsibility for leading the investigation with the support of Cleveland Police. Extensive enquiries continue to establish the full circumstances and explore any potential motivation.

"We are keeping an open mind as we investigate to establish the facts, as we would normally do in these types of circumstances.
Cleveland Police were called to a property on Wharton Street, Hartlepool at 05:17 on Sunday. On arrival police found a man with non-threatening life injuries, he was taken to hospital where he remains.

"A second man was found injured on nearby Tees Street. Sadly, he died at the scene. The police are supporting his family. A 44 year old man was arrested on suspicion of murder and attempted murder and remains in custody. A Superintendent’s extension has been
granted, giving a further 12 hours to question the suspect. A cordon does remain in place at a property in Hartlepool."

Head of CTP North East, Detective Chief Superintendent James Dunkerley said: “Although our enquiries are still at a very early stage, the circumstances surrounding this incident have resulted in Counter Terrorism Policing taking the lead for this investigation.

“From the enquiries undertaken so far, there is no evidence to suggest that there was any other person involved in the attack, and, at this time, we are not looking for anyone else in relation to the incident. Our deepest sympathies go out to the family and friends of the man killed yesterday, and our thoughts are with the man who remains in hospital.”

Deputy Chief Constable Victoria Fuller from Cleveland Police added: “Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the man who lost his life yesterday. Though incidents of this nature are very rare, I understand the concern that yesterday’s events will have caused amongst our local community. We have local officers patrolling in the area to provide reassuranceto our local communities.

“We continue to work closely with colleagues from Counter Terrorism Policing North East as the investigation progresses. We are also
working with other partner agencies and key community representatives to reassure them and keep them informed.”

“I would like to offer my thanks to the attending officers who swiftly responded to this incident."

Jeremy Armstrong