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Islington Tribune - by ROISIN GADELRAB
Published: 22 August 2008

Ben Kinsella

Lawyers deny tragic Ben was drinking in pub

LAWYERS for the bar where 16-year-old stab victim Ben Kinsella spent his final hours have denied that any breach of licensing laws took place despite police evidence that it was the venue for an alcohol-fuelled celebration by under-age sixth-formers.
Solicitors for Shillibeers, off North Road, Holloway, have challenged claims made by Islington police, who called for a review of the venue’s licence.
Mr Kinsella was known to be drinking there just before he was killed nearby on June 26.
A council committee will decide the future of the bar’s licence at a meeting on Wednesday.
Police are adamant that they have evidence that under-age drinking took place.
Sergeant Graham Henry said yesterday (Thursday): “The review follows from the killing of Ben Kinsella.
“Although it didn’t happen in Shillibeers, he was drinking there that night. And he was 16.”
A party of sixth-formers had arranged to drink in the bar in Carpenters Mews that night to celebrate the end of their exams – a fact that Shillibeers management did not know, according to Sgt Henry.
He described the venue as “generally a very professional outfit, and well organised – not one of the premises we have identified as having under-age issues”.
But he added: “I have spoken to the investigating officer who has taken evidence from the witnesses that night. He has spoken to witnesses who were in there, and who say drinking took place.
“It may be that all of those witnesses are wrong, but I doubt it.”
Chief Inspector Steve Riley, making his case for reviewing the licence in a report to the committee, said: “There also appeared to be poor practice when both the victim and the suspect were ejected together.”
In a letter to the Town Hall’s licensing team, Robert Sutherland, a solicitor from Jeffrey Green Russell, representing Shillibeers, said: “While the circumstances are indeed tragic surrounding this application, it is not accepted that any breach of the licence or regulations has taken place and evidence will be brought by the licence holder to that effect.”
Jeffrey Green Russell did not return the Tribune’s calls yesterday.
Police and Shillibeers are understood to have agreed new terms for managing entry to the bar, which include the Challenge 21 system of checking ages and search wands being used by door staff.

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