Legal

Attack at Jessie J Blackberry show sparks murder investigation

By | Published on Tuesday 10 April 2012

Jessie J

A murder investigation is now underway after a man attacked during a Blackberry-sponsored Jessie J gig at a South London club last week died this weekend.

Phillip Sherriff from Preston, a sales manager for Blackberry parent company Research In Motion, was attacked with a bottle during the event at the Pulse nightclub in Southwark and, despite being rushed to the Royal London Hospital, he remained in a serious condition throughout the week, and died in the early hours of Sunday morning. Police called the attack “unprovoked”.

Ashley Charles, a 25 year old Creative Director for a Leicester-based digital design firm, has been charged over the attack, which is now being treated as murder. The accused appeared at Camberwell Green Magistrates Court on Saturday where a bail application was denied. He will now attend a hearing at the Inner London Crown Court on 20 Apr.

In addition to the tragedy of losing a workmate, the incident is a further blow for the UK division of Blackberry, which last year became associated with the riots in London when it emerged rioters were using the company’s BBM social network to plan their attacks. The flagging phone firm has already indicated it may withdraw from the consumer-facing mobile market to concentrate on its B2B products.

Jessie J expressed her sympathies for the friends and family of Sherriff this weekend, writing on Twitter on Sunday: “I am lost for words. All I can say is my thoughts, love and respects are with the family and children of the man who attended the Blackberry gig last week, who sadly lost his life this morning – so sad”.



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