Martyn Blake, who denies murder, gives evidence for the first time at his Old Bailey trial and tells the jury he thought there was an 'imminent threat to life' when he shot Mr Kaba.
The police marksman who shot Chris Kaba dead has told a court he opened fire because he thought a colleague was about to die. Giving evidence for the first time at his Old Bailey trial, Martyn Blake said he was 'filled with dread' when the Audi that Mr Kaba was driving moved backwards and forwards as officers surrounded the car.
'If I hadn't acted, I thought one of my colleagues would be dead. I felt I had a duty to protect them at the time.' Blake said he aimed at Mr Kaba's central body mass, as officers are trained, and acknowledged such a shot could be fatal. But asked if he had intended to kill Mr Kaba, the 40-year-old defendant replied: 'No.' 'Every officer in the department… thinks it will never happen to them,' he said. 'You hope it won't happen to you.
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