A £30,000 cash reward is being offered by the Metropolitan Police (MET) for any information on a 25 year-old Shadwell murder.
John Kennedy was stabbed to death at the Railway Arms Pub on Sutton Street on the 8th of February 1997 in the early hours of the morning.
The MET previously offered a £20,000 cash reward in 2013, but the case saw no progress in the following nine years. To restore hope for the victims family, the reward has now been raised by £10,000 for anyone who comes forward with new information that leads to a conviction
Kennedy’s family are desperate for justice and have a lot of supporters. Back in 2014, hundreds marched towards the site of the murder and held a candlelight service in honour of John.
Although a man was arrested, they were later released. In 2014 John’s sister Gaynor Kennedy told the East London Advertiser: “not enough has been done to arrest the killer.” Rising East tried to contact Gaynor but received no response.
A Facebook page set up for John was flooded with comments from supporters. Mari Norman said: “we need justice for John. RIP. you were so special to so many people.”
However the recent reward has provoked less positive posts. Toni Goodhew asked: “Why £30,000? it’s a lot of money. Do you really think someone reliable is going to inform?”
John Kennedy was aged 31 when his life was taken. He was a self-employed electrician, father of two and aspiring footballer. He arrived at the Railway Arms pub at 3am where he was later attacked and fatally stabbed at 5am. All of the 60 people present at the time either refused to be a witness or withdrew their statements.
Police urge any witnesses to come forward, and have a particular interest in contacting someone who left an anonymous note back in 2013 at the St. George’s Town Hall near the police station in Shadwell.
The Railway Arms pub was permanently closed in 1998 following the murder, and remained abandoned for years. The building was renovated into a barber’s shop some years later, but has since been demolished.
So far the MET’s increased cash reward hasn’t resulted in any further developments, at least known to the public. If you have any information regarding this case you can contact 020 83453985. If you are worried about revealing your identity, you can get in touch anonymously by calling 0800 555 111, or visit crimestoppers.org.uk.
The Area Where The Railway Arms Once Stood
A photo essay by Oskar Rabicano
Late in the afternoon I take a walk down Sutton Street, where a pub once heaved with the sounds of drunken merriment. But now 25 years after the murder of John Kennedy, the pub has gone, and not a single person is walking in the deathly-quiet street.
It might just be because I know about the murder, but the area feels unsettling as I walk down the road alone. I notice there’s a lot of graffiti. According to the MET Shadwell has 11 crimes per 1000 residents compared the the London average of eight.
The shops in the Shadwell parade I walk by are covered by heavy shutters covered in graffiti.
Posters about knife crime suggest that rates of violent crime were or are quite high here.
The poster reads “CHOOSE LIFE DROP THE KNIFE”: a stark reminder of the death by knife of John Kennedy near here. The slogan is on the gate of a youth club so as to target the younger generation.
As I walk I see smashed and damaged windows on an older council block. It looks neglectaed compared to the newer building across the road.
As with so much of East London, signs of regeneration sit side by side with signs of degradation. I come across a building that is vibrant and appealing, but just meters away sits flats desperate for a fresh lick of paint. It is clear that some places haven’t been worked on for years.
Despite efforts to regenerate the area and to turn the young away from knife crime, these streets feels wounded, as if the sad death of John Kennedy failed to spark the changes that were needed here.