CPS advises no charge against Edwin Pitkin

25/04/2008

The CPS today announced that Edwin Pitkin will not face charges for the death of Mark Woods at Mr Pitkin's home in Enfield, London, last February.

Mr Woods was fatally stabbed in the chest during a struggle with Mr Pitkin as he attempted to gain entry to his house.

Following a full review of the circumstances surrounding Mr Woods' tragic death, CPS London has concluded that there is no realistic prospect of conviction for any offence arising out of his death.

Mr Rene Barclay, Director of Complex Casework, said: "In order to prove the offence of murder or manslaughter we have to prove that Mr Pitkin killed Mark Woods unlawfully and not in self -defence or in defence of another.

"A person is entitled to use such force as is reasonable in the circumstances for the purpose of self-defence, the defence of another, the defence of property or the prevention of crime.

"In assessing the reasonableness of the force used we have to take account of the circumstances as Mr Pitkin believed them to be.

"We therefore concluded that there was no realistic prospect of conviction in this case because there was insufficient evidence to establish Mark Woods was unlawfully killed."
Ends

Notes to Editors:

1. At around midnight on the night of Friday 29 February 2008 Mr Pitkin awoke to the noise of Mark Woods outside his front door trying to gain entry into his house. Mark Woods was very drunk.

2. Mr Pitkin armed himself with a knife from his kitchen in response to the threat posed by Mark Woods.

3. On Mr Pitkin opening his front door, Mark Woods continued to try to gain entry to Mr Pitkin's home, falsely believing in his drunken state that he lived there and was being prevented from entering.

4. Mr Pitkin told the police that during the struggle to prevent Mark  Woods from entering the address, Mark Woods threatened to stab Mr Pitkin's eyes out with some keys he held in his clenched hands. At that point Mr Pitkin reacted by stabbing Mark Woods once in the chest.  Following his death the keys were later discovered in Mark Woods' clenched hand.

5. There was no forensic evidence, eye witness evidence or CCTV imagery which supports any suggestion that Mr Woods was killed unlawfully.

6. For further information, please call Russell Hayes, CPS Press Office, on 020 7710 6088. Out of hours pager: 07699 781926.