Taxi Driver Online

South Wales Echo

August 9, 2006, Wednesday

HEADLINE: Family in peace call

BYLINE: Abby Alford South Wales Echo

The family of a 22-year-old murdered man have called for calm after fears of a revenge attacks.

Sean Barwick's family have stressed they don't want any reprisals after he died following a 'brutal' attack in a Bridgend street. In a statement his family said: 'We don't want anyone else to go through what we've been through over the last few days.' Fears of reprisals after Sean's death: There are fears of revenge attacks following the murder of a 22-year-old man, it emerged today.

The man at the head of a residents group on the estate where Sean Barwick was found brutally beaten said he fears reprisal attacks. Philip Loveday has now joined Sean's family in appealing for calm in Bridgend. 'We have heard there's the possibility of reprisals,' said the 54-year-old ex-soldier and Gulf War veteran, who is chairman of the Wildmill Area Tenants' and Residents' Association (Watra). 'It's been mentioned a few times that people from the Sarn and Bryncethin area, where Sean lived, are going to come down and do things. But we don't want any trouble. We have tried hard to keep this estate away from problems.' In a bid to ease tensions between Wildmill and Sarn and Bryncethin, he has posted a message to Sean's family on Watra's website.

It reads: 'The Watra committee and the people of Wildmill would like to send their deepest sympathies to the family of Sean Barwick, who was an unfortunate victim of a vicious and callous assault whilst travelling through Wildmill estate.' It follows a statement issued by police in which Sean's family said: 'We want to stress that we don't want any reprisals for what has happened to Sean because we don't want anyone else to go through what we've been through over the last few days.'

Sean, who lived with his parents in Eustace Drive, Bryncethin, was found badly beaten by a taxi driver in St Andrew's Road, Wildmill, in the early hours of Saturday after what police have described as an apparently motiveless attack. He had spent the previous evening in a nightclub with friends, but left on his own at 1am. He died from severe head injuries on Sunday afternoon in Bridgend's Princess of Wales Hospital.

The man leading the murder investigation, Detective Superintendent Adrian Hogg, is urging anyone who knows where Sean went between leaving the club and being found unconscious at 3.25am to come forward. Meanwhile, five men arrested in connection with the killing remain in custody. Three teenagers were arrested at the weekend and two men, aged 33 and 34 from Wildmill, were arrested yesterday morning. Contact the incident room at Bridgend Police Station on 01656 655555 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111. 'Sean was a wonderful son': Sean's family said: 'It's very difficult to put into words how we feel and how much we miss Sean.

'Sean was part of a large, close and loving family and we're all pulling together to try to come to terms with what has happened. Sean was full of life and a wonderful son and brother and his death has left a void that can never be filled. 'We would like to thank the staff in the intensive care unit at the Princess of Wales Hospital for their care of Sean and the support that they gave us. We also want to thank South Wales Police and our family and friends for their support. Also, we want to thank everyone who has sent cards and flowers and shown us how much Sean was loved and missed.

'Finally, we also want to stress that we don't want any reprisals for what has happened to Sean because we don't want anyone else to go through what we've been through over the last few days.

'We would be very grateful if we could now be left to grieve for Sean in private.'
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This might be construed as meaning that the taxi driver was the perpetrator, whereas in fact I think it's meant to mean that the taxi driver merely found the beaten man.

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Taxi Driver Online
www.taxi-driver.co.uk

You're quite right, I should have paid more attention to the content of the article. I should have omitted the reference to "Taxi" in the headline.


Regards

JD

I also read the story as meaning that the driver was the perpetrator and thought it might have been due to a taxi-related dispute. But the article also said that the attack was motiveless and that five men had been arrested, which was why I reread the bit about the driver and decided that it could in fact be construed in another way

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Taxi Driver Online
www.taxi-driver.co.uk

I was all for suggesting deleting the thread because of its unrelated relevance to Taxis but I suppose we could leave it and let it assume its own obscurity

Regards

JD