Road rage witness who was killed by hitman after helping put Noye behind bars
A man who witnessed the M25 road rage killer's horrific attack on an innocent man was then shot dead just months later.
Dad-of-three Alan Decabral claimed he saw Kenneth Noye murdering 21-year-old Stephen Cameron on the slip road to the M25 on May 19, 1996.
Stephen's fiancée Danielle Cable, who witnessed the whole incident, was key to bringing Noye to justice after a two year manhunt to find the killer.
He was handed a life sentence in April 2000, while Danielle went into witness protection and given a new identity.
Mr Decabral also provided evidence that proved crucial in getting him convicted, but he declined going into witness protection. Just a few months later he was shot dead by a hitman.
M25 killer Kenneth Noye's years on the run - from Russian jet to life of luxury
Kenneth Noye was released from prison in 2019 (PA)Kenneth Noye, who was released from prison in 2019, was a career criminal who was also involved in the Brink's-Mat robbery of 1983, which is currently being depicted in a six-part BBC series called The Gold.
While being investigated for his involvement in the gold heist, Noye fatally stabbed Detective Constable John Fordham, who had entered the grounds of his home.
Noye was acquitted of the murder on grounds of self defence, but was later jailed anyway for his involvement in the robbery. He served eight years behind bars and left prison in 1994.
Alan Decabral feared he 'could be a target'
Alan Decabral was shot in a car park in Ashford, Kent (Press Association)Father-of-three Alan Decabral had given a testimony that helped convict Noye for the road rage murder.
Speaking at the Old Bailey, he had said he had seen two men fighting on the slip road of the motorway and had seen Noye "lunging forward" with a knife and stabbing Stephen.
He spoke about death threats and living in fear, claiming that three bullets had been pushed through his letterbox before testifying.
Speaking to The Telegraph, Mr Decabral said following the trial: "Giving evidence against Kenny Noye had a devastating effect on my life.
"I split from my wife because of the stress and I had to shut down my motorbike business because I have received death threats. I am constantly looking over my shoulder because I could be a target."
Meanwhile, Detective Chief Inspector Bob Nelson said that Mr Decabral had been "offered police protection but refused it".
He added: "We have spoken to his close friends and family and they have failed to support the story that there were any threats at all".
M25 road Kenneth Noye tells victim's lover he's 'not a danger' to her
Murder of Alan Decabral
Witnesses said they heard Mr Decabral 'beg for his life' (Press Association)
Police searched the home of Alan Decabral in Pluckley, Kent (Press Association)Just months after the trial, the 40-year-old businessman from Kent was shot dead.
He had been sitting in the front passenger seat of his son's car in a retail park in Ashford, Kent, on Thursday, October 5, 2000, when he was shot in the head by a hitman.
Witnesses also described that they had heard Mr Decabral beg for his life in the black Peugeot 205. They heard a bang, and saw a man in his 20s run away.
The case led to a massive manhunt for the perpetrator, but no one has ever been convicted.
Police confirmed they were looking at whether Noye could have had any connection to the murder, but he was never formally a suspect. They were also looking at other people.
Police confirmed they were planning to interview him, but at the time he was at a Special Secure Unit at Whitemoor Prison in Cambridgeshire, where natural daylight and contact with other inmates were denied, and they concluded that Noye had no proven connection with the murder.
Mr Decabral's criminal past
Stephen Cameron was stabbed to death by Noye, and his fiancée was key in tracking the killer down (PA Archive/Press Association Ima)Kent detectives found that Mr Decabral had a "shadowy past", which suggested he had a long list of enemies who might want to kill him.
A landlord of a pub local to Mr Decabral said that he was "known for having a shady past and didn't make any secret of the fact that most of his friends were in prison".
Richard Gray continued: "I think everyone round here thought he was a pretty shady character, although people were shocked when they heard he had been murdered."
The summer before he was murdered, he had pleaded guilty to possessing a prohibited weapon and 38mg of cocaine.
A police source said Mr Decabral "led a very tangled life both in his private and business affairs, which could have created enemies who wanted him out of the way. It would be wrong to just focus on a possible Noye connection in relation to his death," according to The Guardian.
Speaking after his trial, Noye himself said he felt Mr Decabral was an unreliable witness who created an "edifice of lies" about Noye so he could bargain with police.
Mr Decabral's estranged wife agreed, saying she didn't believe his story, claiming he regularly exaggerated.
During Noye's appeal hearing in 2001, the murderer's barrister Michael Mansfield QC said: "He was alive to the fact the police had an interest in him.
"As a result of his criminality and vulnerability he had a motive to lie in 1996 when giving his statement – he had a bargaining tool.
"In his 999 call he claimed he had seen a gun - there was no gun."
Another theory, which was investigated by police but never proven, looked at whether Mr Decabral could have been a former Hell's Angel member who was caught up in a war between biker gangs.
The case remains open to this day, and anyone with information should ring Kent Police on 01622 690690, or call Kent Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
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