“Forgive, as you have been forgiven...”
Just over 10 years ago,
on 14 January 2003
DetecƟve Constable
Stephen Oake, a 40year-old Special
Branch Officer was
murdered. He and
some of his colleagues had gone to a flat in
north Manchester, as part of an
immigraƟon operaƟon. The resident was
not expected to be there, but the police
found illegal immigrant Kamel Bourgass,
who had arrived in England in the back of a
lorry three years prior, and two other
unknown men. Bourgass was not deemed to
be a threat and thus was not handcuffed by
the officers. However, he suddenly made an
aƩempt to escape and, in the process of
doing so, punched one officer and picked up
a kitchen knife. Oake, who was unarmed
and not wearing protecƟve clothing, went
to restrain the suspect but was stabbed
eight Ɵmes in the chest and upper body,
including one blow which penetrated his
heart. Despite his extensive injuries, Oake
conƟnued trying to help his colleagues bring
Bourgass under control; three other officers
suffered stab wounds before the suspect
was eventually contained. Steve Oake later
died of his injuries. The anguish and agony
which this brief incident represented is
quite incalculable.
Although 10 years have passed since
Stephen’s murder I can sƟll recall vividly,
among the news bulleƟns that followed, a
8
brief 30 second statement from Steve’s dad,
Robin Oake, who was the former chief
constable of the Isle of Man, and one of the
founders of the ChrisƟan Police AssociaƟon
in the Metropolitan Police. He said, “This is a
very hard blow to take, as you can imagine.
But in the police force one has to expect the
unexpe